SB Nation User Blog: BritWarriorGSW

GSW Coaching - Who is the Boss?

BritWarriorGSW — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:45:01 -0000

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!

Marco Belinelli - The one that got away?

BritWarriorGSW — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:11:25 -0000

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...

London Calling!

BritWarriorGSW — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:01:05 -0000

Cue Frank Sinatra song... "and now....the end is near...."

Yes it is time for this Brit to step back across the pond back to blighty! I have just set up a new business there which is actually the main reason why I had not renewed by season tickets and so I am heading back to the freezing bloody cold on October 11th! I had hoped to run it from here, but to get it properly going and for all the official visa crap, it has to be done initially from London.

I have been in the Bay for 4 years now and have loved every moment (well almost) that I have spent here and the chance to finally be a part of the team that I supported as a kid from distant shores...

So Ray my friend... you will have to keep the honor for me in getting those "refs you suck" chants going, as I have no doubt the same dire quality of refs will again darken our floors in the arena.

However all is not lost...

I intend this to be a short return to simply get the business going and then come back to open the US office..providing I don't get shot on the first few jobs... :)

So I expect to be back for the the 2010 season... and to be honest....I think it may just be the perfect time to come back as an STH...

It has been great fun getting some inside perspective from the Warriors and asking questions that we may not get asked properly from the media and this is still very much a community I shall be part of even when I am back in England...one saving grace is that my fellas in Blue....seem to have it well sorted this year and so I wll be get back to grips with my Chelsea tunes and might bring a few back when I am back next year...fingers crossed!

I hope to be at Sundays game with the Clipps as my last hurrar for this year... and then fly back the following Sunday. As some of you may or may not know, I have been involved in competition motorsport as a Rally driver since 1995 and did a spell commentating and interviewing the drivers on the world championship in 2003 to 2005. Then got back into driving and did a National Championship back in the UK in 07 where we were running third in the championship until my Co-driver took ill and that was game over for the season... The reason why I bring this up is the other main driving factor to be back next year and that is that I intend to go GT racing in the Grand Am series and already have tests lined up next year potentially with the Suntrust team..

My day job is involved in Aviation Finance and my new company is basically going to make me the Repo man! ;) Where I will have a team of guys that will go into a country and grab a commercial jet aircraft, probably in the more questionable jurisdictions hence the hope not to get shot! ;)

Anyway...the intention is that this is a short return to "Blighty" and look forward to hopfully making some trips back during this year to watch a few games.

I have made some great friends here amoungst the STH's and look forward to getting chance to do another sit down with RR and LR sometime during the season hopefully during a trip back when it will be very interesting to see how the year has developed...

Despite the drama in recent weeks.... LGW!!!!!!!!!

Best Regards

BritWarriorGSW

The San Quentin Jailbreak with Robert and Larry!

BritWarriorGSW — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:06:28 -0000

Otherwise known as an "Exclusive Evening with the Warriors"

So.....this evening I had the pleasure to attend another GSW event where Season Ticket Holder’s (STH’s) both new, former and yet renewed had the opportunity to interact with Robert Rowell (RR) and Larry Riley (LR) along with more season ticket reps than you could shake a stick at! ;)

The event was held at the Sonnen BMW showroom in San Rafael, just down the road from the famous prison and one might question whether Robert and Larry were going to get locked up by the fans or manage a great escape!

Well first and foremost this was a very polished affair with drinks and canapés and clearly aimed at the Marin target audience, quite different from the STH meeting I went to at the end of last season. There was an air of scepticism from other fans I spoke to as to what actual content we would get, in light of the format, but it would be interesting none the less.

We had Bob Fitzgerald (Fitz) hosting the questions to RR and LR and the moment I arrived I realised this was not quite what I was hoping for, however I later got the one on one time with RR and LR separately which I will come to later. Some of the Warrior girls were there and also Jim Barnett turned up to listen to the discussions and in all, maybe around 50-60 fans/STH’s total at the event, along with some invitees from the dealership.

The idea of this event, was that people could submit questions on paper and Fitz would ask the questions and the guys would answer in turn. Obviously this left a little room for “pre-screening/selection” so I chose to keep my questions till the end to discuss in person.

After some socialising, drinks, nibbles etc the event main started... before I go into that though I have to say... maybe the Warriors could switch corporate sponsors to BMW as I have always found the “Power to Surprise” a contradiction in terms when discussing a KIA....as I don’t feel I have ever been surprised by a KIA or found their engines to have much in the way of power...but that’s OT...

Once the usual PR..."Everything’s great" pitches were done, and this obviously involved speeches by both LR and RR on how exciting the coming season would be, etc, etc, etc. The questions began. I have condensed some of the answers a little to make for easier reading and not put forward my own opinions on certain comments to allow you to form your own conclusions...

*Fitz began with a question requested about the team and how they felt the 2009/2010 season was looking?

RR- Basically stated that he was excited by the coming season but very quickly mentioned Anthony Randolph who with Curry and Morrow, will provide some very entertaining play for the coming year. He made a point of highlighting the major change in bringing in LR as General Manager, but that he now feels the organisation from a front office perspective, is in the best shape it has been for 15 years!

LR – Having come into the organization, he mentioned how he likes what he sees with the roster, where only one guy is a true rookie (Curry) but that Randolph and Morrow showed superb performances in the Summer League and while this may not give the true picture in the NBA, their development over the summer has been exactly in line with what they had hoped for. He clearly considers Magette and Jackson the Vets, along with Devean George, who they expect to be healthy from the knee problem at season start. It is clear the vets are viewed as key in developing the youngsters further. However he also described that having effectively 5 potential Point Guards on the roster offers some challenges and opportunities to add rotation depending on the game at hand. This combination will include the VETS and judging by how he was saying it... I personally suspect this is where we will see Nellie taking each game on a game by game basis in terms of his line up.... i.e. score 45 points in a game, does not mean you will play the following game, so no change there!!.... The thing LR seemed most happy with was the fact that all players will start training camp fully healthy!

*The next question asked whether the organisation would prefer an all star trade or whether it is content to run with the existing team?

LR – Firstly stated Jim Barnett was not for trade... (Sigh of relief there huh?) It was actually good as it shows LR has a sense of humour and tonight I was fortunate enough to see a side of his personality that I have yet to see from the press briefings etc to date. However the next part was very interesting and was quite compact, where he described how he and the office was very content with what they had currently, however and here was the flag for me, an “All-star” type of trade is still an opportunity, providing the right deal comes along and to date, the office does not feel the right deal has come along at all, where the Warriors feel they are getting fair return for any proposals made to date. Yes he is keen to pursue opportunities, but only if the Warriors do not have to give up too much in the way of their current/future talent. Further point was made as to how truly young this team is and if the players keep developing they will be a mix of potential All-stars and very good NBA players in the near future.

*The next question from Fitz to RR was with regards to an ideal franchise that the Warriors would like to be seen as.

RR – He personally admires the Detroit Pistons and how they run their operation with a professional manner along with the history of their home venue. He feels the Pistons do business the right way when they deal with their players, which he then linked into the Jackson issue... he said...”yes yes I know we have to cover it, Jackson, Jackson, Jackson, but I feel the way Detroit deals with their players is exactly how we have tried to deal with ours and inthis instance how we have dealt with Jackson to date”... to that end he feels that Jackson handles himself off court the way he does on court and that is, he “yaps” a bit too much and screws up and may say or do things he later regrets, but that is part and parcel of what makes Jackson, Stephen Jackson. He felt they have dealt with him professionally, feel disappointed at his comments but it is what it is and they have to now deal with it and move on. The organisation has had contact with him and they expect him to be at training camp. More was then to follow later on Jackson...

*The next question was with regards to GSW not having a proven “Big Man” and this went to LR.

LR – Was quick to point out that not all championship teams need a proven big man, however if he could get one, he would do so in a heartbeat. He used the example that if you have 15th best centre in the league, you are probably better going “smaller” for a better player. He mentioned that some may feel Biedrins is not good enough, however he states that he fits Nellie’s system very well and expects a very interesting partnership to potentially develop between Biedrins and Curry as the season goes on. However, he made it very clear that if he had the opportunity to get a top 5 or 6 centre in the league...he would do so.

*The next question was – Can Monta Ellis play PG and on court with Curry?

LR – Believes Ellis and Curry can and will play on court together at some point this year. It was clear however by this statement that he did not see them starting together and he was not sure how soon we would potentially see those two on court together. It was clear that he holds Curry in high regard and feels they were extremely fortunate to get him in the draft. Based on what he was saying though, unless Curry suddenly outshines Ellis in training camp or Ellis gets traded (possible if you carry on reading) then it seems unlikely Curry will start!

*There was a question posed with regards to how players deal with travel schedules and deal with the mental side of the game and RR indicated that the travel schedule can be tough at times and often players may not be in bed when they should be, but they are grown adults and make their own decisions.

*The next question covered “Defence and Rebounding” and what we were going to do about it?

Fitz started off by stating that ultimately points allowed are irrelevant, providing you score more points than the other team. However the Warriors lost far too many rebounds to have a chance to score more points than the other team on many occasions so what will be done about this?

LR- then gave his thoughts and advised that as far as the coaching staff is concerned, Defence and Rebounding is the biggest area for improvement for the team and the upcoming training camp is going to focus on this. I presume this is why the likes of Moore and George have been brought in, to help in practice to get that defensive mindset to some of the younger players. LR went on to say that with the team fully healthy, they will be more alert, sharper and more able to react on D better than worrying about that “niggling” injury. He also mentioned that several vets were a little low in moral last year, but all seem more focused this year and the hunger of the younger players seems to be encouraging the vets more this year.

*The question then reverted back to Stephen Jackson and will he be traded?

LR – took this on and reiterated that if the right deal came along yes of course he could be traded, however just after Jackson made his public comment, LR had contacts from many different organisations all of which wanted to offer poor trade options for Jackson who the Warriors feel has a certain value that no one was prepared to come near in terms of comparable value. He went on to state that the starting 5 was not set and in effect everyone was potentially available “IF” the right trade came along but considering the high regard the organisation has for some of these players, the trade needs to be right! He went on to say that he expects Jackson to report for duty for training camp, ready to play and yet he also expects Jackson to take some flak for his comments at the same time, but he is not marked for a trade per say.

*There was then a question with regards to Nellie and his mindset.

LR – stated that he (Nellie) was cautiously optimistic but more focused than they have seen him for a long time and he is genuinely excited by the potential of the youngsters. LR went on to state that if the team could hang to the 500 mark by February, the team has a real chance of making the playoffs, as this is when Nellie seems to come alive when coaching against other teams at critical times.

*Someone had then asked a question which Fitz read out: “Could Adonal Foyle become a member of the Warriors staffing?” which I have to say I thought was pretty random, but LR saw no reason why he couldn’t be a member of staff one day, but that Adonal seemed to be focused on trying to play for now.

*Fitz then went on to give a brief pep talk on how much he loves coming to work at Oracle Arena and the atmosphere that is created in the building is without doubt unique and every player/team that comes to the arena respects the sheer volume and atmosphere that that the fans can be create in the arena.

So that was it for the pre-formed questions and everyone was thanked for attending/hosting. This event probably wrapped up at around 8pm having started as an event at around 6pm and the discussion period at around 7pm.

However, the bar was then held open for a bit and people were welcome to hang around a little longer if they wanted or had any further questions.

This is when I then got my one on one time with both RR and LR... my direct questions now follow:

* I asked RR if he remembered discussing “Substantial change” in the last STH meeting and so far it did not seem like there has been substantial change per say? However it is clear with the expiring contracts and some of the trades that there may be a bigger gameplan at play? If so....what?

He answered that yes...there have been some key pieces one of the most important he felt was to move the Jamal Crawford contract which they did to free up $10m and also to give them options for future opportunities. He believes that next year the cap could come down to $52m USD with tax in the 60’s and therefore positioning the team to be able to deal with Morrows expectations for example, they will need space and capability to retain key players. Something he feels teams like New York may struggle to do and with the lower cap and he feels they may only be able to make one major trade and if so...would that be enough to attract the likes of LeBron? So I said that it seemed then that there is a plan for next year? And he responded with “we are not done with this year yet!”

So I pushed him further on this and he went to say that they are not done by a long way yet this year and if the right opportunities present themselves they are in a position and ready to make the right move and keen to do so. He went on to describe that right now the team has some very interesting options available to it including the recent agreement with New Jersey to push back the 1st round draft pick, so GSW is now able to include its 2010 number 1 draft pick in a trade if the opportunity presents itself. Speaking of trades he went on to describe how for example the CJ Watson trade came about, where CJ did not get the offers that were high enough for him and would have resulted in the Warriors making a sign and trade deal which they were not prepared to do, so they made the offer that they did and he accepted it. He is not sure why CJ accepted it but is glad nonetheless and feels that it has turned out quite nicely for the club. So again I proposed that it seems everything is being lined up to place this club in the best position for the 2010/2011 season with maybe the vets having been brought in helping the youngsters develop further this year with a view to hopefully making the playoffs, barring any sudden major changes, i.e. next year is the focus? He smiled and agreed that yes a key objective is to try and place the club in a financially strategic position and this is why things may not have finished trade wise for this year, but continued development of the younger players helps on all sides, be it being ready for a championship run or simply being a better player to trade with greater value, the next two years will see some considerable changes.

*This lead me to my next question and I asked with regards to trades “what exactly is the situation with Stephen Jackson?” I stated that it seemed from the fans perspective that Jackson is in one of two camps, either the “I made a stupid comment that I regret camp” or the “I genuinely want to be traded camp” and if it is the latter, considering the way the fan base embraced him here and especially as the club gave him the extension he was looking for, there may well in fact be one or two “Boo’s” come opening night.

RR – Said that the club had made its statement with regards to the whole incident and he felt that before opening night, Jackson is going to have done the right thing and that this should not be an issue. I asked if he (Jackson) would make a statement then before the season begins or is it going to be a case that the club and he agree to work together to find a solution where he gets to leave and the club gets something back in return? RR was pretty confident that it would all sort itself out in the not too distant future and that he will do the right thing with regards the fans as he (Jackson) appreciates the support he has had.

*By now others were waiting to have a quick chat and so my last question to him was with regards to the whole GSW image/logo and is it changing/ He confirmed that yes, the image of the club was had been considered to be changed for this year but it has been agreed to pushed back to the 2010/2011 season when a new image/logo/uniforms will be presented. However, ever the salesman... he stated that this should not stop anyone from buying anything this year! he said with a sly grin!

I have to say, he didn’t shy away from any question and answered each question openly and honestly and so I thanked him for his time and he asked if I had renewed my Season tickets yet, to which it was my turn to smile and said “not yet....I am looking for the right deal to come along!!” with a grin.. but I did advise that I may be flying back and forth to the UK quite a bit in the coming months, so I may not be able to commit to a full season, but we’ll see.

So....having chatted to Robert I then got chance to have a one on one with Larry Riley who again was more than happy to chat and to answer questions. First off, I have to say, the guy is extremely quietly spoken and has an excellent manner about him. He presents the image of a man who is in control of his situation and feels he has a great deal of scope and opportunity, free reign if you like, to make the decisions that he may need to make when the time comes. In short...initial impressions were very good.

*So first I asked about the whole substantial change issue again and the fact that I got the sense from him in the main presentation that right now everything is set.....and yet anything is possible? If so, who is tradable?

He answered honestly that everyone is tradable... and he genuinely means that, HOWEVER the trade has to be like for like in the Warriors opinion, i.e. for example trading Monta Ellis for Dwain Wade would be an example trade. Now he did say that with a smile but he made it very clear that this ball club is still very much looking at its options. Yes they can enter the season and probably hang around the 500 mark but everyone in the organisation wants to do considerably better than that and as such, all cards are on the table. I decided against pushing the Marco trade issue at this point to see if that was considered good value and chose to move on...But....I tought the example given was either interesting...or meant nothing at all! make your own mind up!

*I went on to ask about the number 1 draft pick for next year in light of what he just said and he said,

“yes this was a key reason for this decision to try and push back the option with New jersey and they were kind enough to agree, so that it enables the club to include the 2010 No.1 draft pick in any suitable trade opportunity.”

I asked him whether he felt the likes of Randolph, Morrow and Curry were the core and that players may fit in around them? He said that yes they were extremely important to the club, however the key thing is to now build something that does not keep changing every year. He would like to maybe see one major player change in a year, leaving the remainder of the team to continue to gel together as a great young team, that with the occasional addition, could become the championship team we really want.

I went on to ask if Brandan Wright was part of this mix and has he put on the weight as suggested?

He advised that Wright has been working really hard in Chapel Hill on all aspects of his game and fitness over the summer and he expects to see a considerable improvement from last year during training camp. All reports are that he is looking very good and probably in better shape to deal with the NBA than he was last year. Equally Randolph and Morrow have had great summers and Curry will provide a very interesting addition to the team. I asked if these guys have potential to be “Allstars” and he said Randolph without doubt and Morrow maybe....he advised that while Morrow can certainly shoot, he has other facets of his game that he needs to improve. Could he improve those...possibly, but he will certainly be a very good NBA player. I asked if that meant similar to the likes of Buike? He felt better than Buike. Curry is certainly someone they are excited about and they look forward to seeing how he performs in the camp, he feels his game allows him to do certain things better than Ellis and likewise Ellis will be able to do certain things better than Curry, then with more experience under his belt, potential opportunity to play both players at the same time, could really cause some teams a problem in the future.

*I then asked about Ellis and Jackson in terms of leadership and whether becoming a father has helped mature Ellis, resulting in a different individual than one we have seen to date?

He absolutely agreed that with the birth of his first child, Monta does indeed seem to have immediately understood his new position in life and that also will reflect in his play as he is being looked upon, to take over more leadership from Jackson, especially if Stephen maybe leaving the club at some point. On that matter he said he had literally just been on the phone today (Wednesday) with Nellie who made it clear that he does not want to have to play Jackson anymore than around 30 minutes a game in order to keep him fresh throughout the year, rather than getting burnt out, playing 40 minute games week in week out. Therefore they really are looking forward to Monta taking on more leadership functions for the club and there is absolutely zero sign of any issue from the past injury and he is 100% fit and ready to play. I took it from this, that either Nellie has spoken with Jackson and we can expect to see a retraction statement about the trade request, OR... Nellie simply feels a trade won’t happen and Jackson will be playing this year for GSW.

*I asked him next whether there was any way a starting 5 could be picked at this stage?

He smiled and said, absolutely not! "There are still so many moving parts and so much will depend on the training camp and who shines through in those sessions. The ability to see which player’s naturally just gel together is going to be key and as a result, see who is in best condition to start the season". However he believes that the most important thing is the fact that everyone, is reporting that they are 100% fit and ready to go and he said...that is one of the key factors to enable the club to make the choices it wants, rather than according to who is injured or not as to who they put on the floor, something they were not able to do for the entire season last year.

Larry then said that unfortunately he had a call to make but that it had been a pleasure to meet me and he hopes I enjoy the coming season. I thanked him for his time on behalf of the GSOM community and wished him and the team the best of luck.

As I said at the beginning about my discussion with LR, the guy has a genuine way about him, where you actually believe he has a gameplan and he is trying to achieve it. The sense I got from all of this is that while ALL players may effectively be available for the right price... it is clear the club is gearing toward and speaking often about Randolph, Morrow, Ellis, Curry and to a certain extent Jackson subject to trade talks. Which to me says that this franchise is very much a player in the next trade deadline and many conversations are still ongoing with the clearest intention to make something pretty big happen and it seems the club feels it is in a much better position to make such a trade/big event happen in coming weeks/months. This may also tie in with Jackson and if the club makes a big trade, will that include him, or will it be the reason to want to stay???

So there ya have it...yes we are getting new logo’s and uniforms next season, yes we seem to have a core, yet if the deal fits in Larry’s words...”in order to get something you know you are going to have to give something” so we can probably expect some substantial changes yet to come. We may also see a Jackson statement sometime soon and everyone at GSW is pumped for the season...

HOWEVER.... there was a special promotion on some lower level tickets in the club courtside sections and it was really apparent to me that tickets sales are wayyyyy down and I suspect THIS may be the driving force for a swift major trade transaction if at all possible!

Yes I know there is a lot of “buy more tickets spin there” but Larry Riley seriously impressed me tonight as someone, who when given the right opportunity, won’t be afraid to make a decision and will make his best efforts to improve this team from potential playoff team to conference contenders!

Oh and finally there are 18 warrior girls this year from 16! Very important information you know!

So that’s it from me from another Q&A session and another 4 hours worth of typing.... it’s now 5am and I am going to bed!

Let the discussions begin!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards

BritWarriorGSW

Questions, Questions Questions... Round 2!

BritWarriorGSW — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:56:16 -0000

Ok....so this coming week I along with some others will be sitting listening to and asking questions of Larry Riley and Robert Rowell in person...

I can see another late night 3 hour review coming on again..... ;)

So, I have a few questions in mind already, but wanted to get some questions from you guys to understand some of the key concerns the GSOM fanbase has for the coming season and WHAT the FO intends to do about it...

The one thing that "I Believe" is that we are already seeing the promotions starting with the first four games of the season in the lower level for $70!... This alone is extremely telling about the quantum drop in ticket sales, especially in light of more and more stories of season tickets holders who have signed up for this year, considering their options to know get out of their tickets now before they may be worth less than half face value come January...

While some in the FO seem to be painting a bright picture....the storm clouds are gathering.....was that Thunder I just heard... oh no wait...our FO dumped his poor backside in China..

The question most want to know in my personal opinion is "what is the gameplan?" WHERE IS THIS BALL CLUB GOING??? is 2010/2011 the big season for GSW?...is this year about bringing in some vets to help raise our rookies game and "hope" to reach the playoffs with a committment to use the expiring contracts and if need be SPEND MONEY to bring a couple of big names to the bay area to complement our seasoned young guns then and thus have a potential championship team for the 2010/2011 Season???

If 2010/2011 is going to be the big year.....IS this going to be the season where GSW completely changes it's image? New logo's, etc etc.?

Another question may be.... "Do we actually want a player taking a slot in the team, who has stated he does not want to BE in the team?" Bench him? Trade him? Or simply kick his backside and tell him to get on with what he is paid to do?

The one thing I have accused this FO of most, is the cloak and dagger, smoke and mirrors crap, that goes on. It is time for some refreshing honesty....and no Robert....that does not mean telling your STH's they got screwed, I trust you now have a screen saver that flashes up "Do not tell season ticket holders they got screwed, it does not help next years sales..."

The one thing they have responded to and I applaud them for this, is increasing the website interaction with it's fanbase...HOWEVER....the marketing department is still falling WOEFULLY short.....

There seems to be distinct lack of understanding about what STH's want.... This could be easily solved, and yet the people who clearly do not have the talent in their current positions of marketing, clearly dont know what this is and so they look to pick bits of data from fans, which they probably then pass off as their own in FO meetings as a great new idea. CUT THE CRAP.... create a STH "council" for want of a better word....allow this group to meet with the FO once a month and allow them to put forward ideas and solutions to the marketing department and or the FO...in short...build a bridge between the fans and the FO that is not TAINTED by journalistic motives.

So...there is much to hear.....much to discuss....throw me your thoughts below and I will try to formulate another review of the session covering the key areas of interest that YOU want to hear about....

Rgds

Brit

Flights of fancy....

BritWarriorGSW — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:17:46 -0000

As many of you will recall, we had a season ticket holder meeting with Robert Rowell at the end of the season this year, where some very interesting things came to light and quite a bit of interest was generated in the overview thereafter....

With the events of the last few days, something suddenly clicked and I asked myself.... "what if....nah....surely not....."

One of the key things Robert Rowell said during the meeting was; "SIGNIFICANT changes were going take place over the summer".... he advised that no one in the front office was happy with the season we just had and were just as disappointed as fans and so there "has to be significant changes..."

So lets look at that shall we....has this off-season produced "SIGNIFICANT" changes to the GSW team? I would have to say no....

This therefore lead me to my moment of question and disbelief above.......

What if....part of the major changes that needed to occur were indeed the possible trade of Andris, which has yet to/may not happen and WHAT IF..... the front office advised Stephen Jackson that he was likely to be traded?

Now I have been pretty disgusted with Jackson if this is in fact his decision, but MAYBE, just maybe... he has been told something that no one else yet knows....

If you were him and you had found out that you may be traded having agreed a deal to stay at the club just last year, wouldnt you be just a little ticked off with the organisation? Therefore.... you would want to make the first public move, to make it seem like it is "HIS" decision to leave, rather than the clubs?

So this takes us back to the FO.....who to be honest, wont look good in either case below, no matter what the outcome for the following reasons:

1: If they have told him he is outta here at the first opportunity, is this really sensible? considering you just granted a huge contract extension just last year!!!!

2: The FO has such a poor read and understanding of it's players that it does not realise it is being played by the players? In which case....that's simply embarassing....

OR..... and here is the kicker....

The FO is taking the hugest gamble of all in the next few weeks... where they create a package or packages of players like "Andris, Claxton, George", and another one of "Jackson, Wright, Law, Moore" etc (create your own versions) in order to try and go for TWO reasonably big name players to compliment our young guns in Randolph, Ellis, Morrow and Curry?..... So far this offseason the FO really has not done anything of any major significance and maybe just MAYBE we have yet to see a HUGE trade deal that truly changes the face of the Warriors this year....

Optimistic.....maybe....likely? Probably not..... But if the FO was in fact the group that has created this latest drama by advising Jackson is going to be traded... then Jackson can hardly be blamed for his actions...

IF, however he (Stephen Jackson) has indeed played this club for the cash and is now looking to take the money and run......it is a sign that no matter how "Pimp" the suit may be...once it comes off, all you are left with, is a punk that has chosen to thumb his nose at the very fanbase that adopted him as their own, when pretty much every other fan in the NBA could not stand him...

So yes this may be "flight of fancy" or "pipe dream".... but the front office is either going to prove it means to stand by it's words.... OR.... we can chalk it up to yet another Robert Rowell BS statement where his Front Office's "Business" skillsets have just been given the crossover and now are not only flat footed but stumbling into the front row ...bloodied....battered....bruised and just a little sore in the rear.....

While this is a lot of IF's, BUT's and MAYBE's...has anyone else thought this may in fact be part of a wider picture we have yet to see???

Is this the precursor to a huge trade deal before or in the early part of the season? thus possibly needing more credit than we might have otherwise given them to date.....

Or.... did Rowell and co.... just get punked.....AGAIN! In which case Mr Cohan.... do you REALLY want to become known as the owner of the most incompetant Front Office in sports history??

Time will tell.....

Oh and one last thing.... would it really be that hard to get a freaking mascot again this year? Paint the damn blue suit Gold, Give him a blue streak on his head and call him "Lightning" Son of Thunder!! Is it really that hard to see such a simple solution???? Answer to the second question above may also in fact answer this question as well.....

Poll

So....Who initiated this?

Stephen Jackson

136 votes

The GSW Front Office

97 votes

233 votes | Poll has closed

WHO is the missing link?

BritWarriorGSW — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:08:24 -0000

I am writing this for the second time...Grrrrr as I went to "preview" my completed post (as per Atma's recent request of us all) only for the pop-up blocker to block the preview and when I enabled the pop-up...my post was gone...lost in the SBNation abyss!

Anyway, back on topic.

Summer is progressing and I had a phone call from senior season ticket holder rep, Jake the other day, to discuss the current state of the team, my thoughts on sumer league.... potential new signings etc. Oh and discovered that my article written about the STH meeting is now on my STH record!!! Not sure if that is good or bad...but oh well! Basically he was looking to see if I would renew and I said I am holding off making a decision until we see what develops over the summer. As I had no desire to see Monta decide to do something like skydiving, or some other "Goat Brained" decision while he was rolling in all his "loot" in these tough economic times!!

Anyway, the result of this conversation got me thinking;
I believe we are one piece away from being a contender in the West. We have proven that on the right day, playing our game fast, we can run with and beat the best of them. Add one key experienced piece... and we have quite an exciting team!

So who is he?

It seems our starting 5 at the moment is likely to be:

Ellis

Jackson

Biedrins

Randolph

Buike

with a reserve line-up of:

Curry/Law

Marco/Morrow

Turiaf

Wright

Magette

To me, this says we are missing that key player in the PF/SF slot that could make a significant difference to our chances in this years coming season:

So...who do we try and get?

I noticed today at NBA.com that there are reports that David Lee is a little "Frustrated" with negotiations with the Knicks. Last year Lee lead the league in Double Doubles and was third in the league for Rebounds! Ahhhh the perfect fit then for GSW and possibly the missing piece, or is he?

Lee seems to be one of those players that gets on with his job quietly and efficiently and no one really notices. But with those numbers he fills a gap we currently have, as we have more than enough firepower, but if we lose Biedrins or Turiaf, we hurt badly on the boards. The problem I have with him, is the fact that he seems to go up and down the court like a "Lumbering Ox!" and when a player makes Maggete look fast, then question mark is raised as to whether he could fit into the GSW "RunNGun" style of play?

His agent wants $10m a year.... His agent does what all agents do... and try to get what he can for the player, personally I dont think he is worth $10m a year, but I wonder what the Knicks think he is worth?

So... there also remain possible trades talks for Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Lamar Odom, etc but more and more pieces are fallng into place at teams and so what exactly does GSW do?

Another post describes whether Buike has reached maximum potential or not? I tend agree with the poster that I believe he may "max out" in the next year or two, but is very much one of thoe players that you REALLY want on your team, if the price is right, due to his versatility.

So who else do we think is tradeable? Personally I would love to dump the Magette contract, however as a player I actually like the dimension he brings, and there will be certain games where we need his "get to the line" 20 points a game, as our shooters are simply off, that night...

Stephen Jackson..... Again personally, I feel like his turnaround as a person and his efforts in the community are beyond comparison..however I see storm clouds brewing... Monta Ellis has made it clear he wants to be seen as GSW's "Leader". Now that may not be "floor general" leader but overall leader. (I think he has a couple of years to go yet to learn HOW to lead, but thats another topic).

Jackson on court can be super hot from the 3, can defend most key NBA players well (his job on Kobe is always good to watch) however, he has a horrible turnover rate, he thinks he is a better handler of the rock than he truly is, he spends WAY too much time arguing and complaining to the refs when he should be back on "D" and due to the players we now have, I can see his time being reduced and this is not going to go down well with him.

The pure form and potential of Randolph, along with the shooting ability of Morrow and the handling ability of Curry, seems to reduce the impact Jackson can make to our team and honestly, all 3 have considerably more potential going forward than Jackson has.

We also have Brandon Wright, who I am sure will develop into a good player, Randolph is developing faster and we are always going to be keeping Randolph over Wright, yet Wright has the right potential for a team looking to add a young Randolph style player and so his value to us is in a trade.

So... do we trade Jackson/Buike to the Knicks for Lee? or Wright/Jackson for Lee? Do we look to trade or keep Buike if we can, but if the right deal came along, do we trade all 3 players (if possible) to get the perfect fit of veteran for our youngsters?

Your thoughts please below:

Poll

Should the Warriors try to get David Lee?

Yes

112 votes

No

75 votes

I would rather stick with what we have and go for a big name next year!

87 votes

274 votes | Poll has closed

Mehmet Okur might be available... thoughts?

BritWarriorGSW — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:20:58 -0000

According to ESPN's insider, Okur may be considering "opting out" of his Jazz colours! Now I have never been a huge fan of this guy as a person, but he really can provide some heavy firepower at key moments in games. He is not affraid to get in people's faces and might be a great bruiser that gives AR room to play.

If he was available...should GSW go after him?

I was thinking of line up's and this:

Curry, Ellis, Okur, Biedrins, Randolph,

with rotation of:

Law,Morrow,Jackson, Turiaf, Buike, Looks pretty good to me.

and fill in's as required - CJ, Magette, Claxton, Marco

I suspect Wright may be gone this summer, possibly Marco too. Unlike many, I think Maggette does add an element to our game which in the right moment is very useful.

For example a lineup of Marco/Morrow, Jackson, Okur, Turiaf, Magette would be pretty physical...

Anyway smarter (perceived or at least in their own opinion) minds will probably have views on this, which I would be interested to hear?

Omen for the season?

BritWarriorGSW — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:15:15 -0000

So...... With the new talkative face of the Golden State Warriors appearing to have hit a "technical" glitch with today's conference call with Anthony Randolph.... does this bode badly for the season? Or do we think...."Yeah...playoffs just round the corner!"

Well I guess the latter depends on the length of the street and for many of us, the street has been a "no exit" freeway for far too long now!

So...WILL people make their voices heard and protest for the removal of Robert Rowell in light of the fact that he has still yet to apologize or make any form of offer to last seasons Club 200 Season Ticket Holders who he openly told were "Screwed" by this organisation.

The problem with many businesses today, including Wall Street and the major banks and even our own beloved GSW's is that "Crap flows downhill" and when we look around to find ourselves in the midst of a mess MANY of us want to see those at the top of the tree fired for incompetance, rather than be given financial handouts or continued contracts.

Robert Rowell's EXTREMELY poorly chosen words WILL come to haunt him unless he makes a significant effort to make amends with the fans, oh and by the way "Bobby" (as your ticket sales like to all you) I am still awaiting our 1 on 1 interview which I am willing to conduct at any time!

So in light of the potential Hawks trade for Crawford and the draft..... will we be:

"Just not quite good enough again...."

"forever harking back to the Run TMC or We Believe Team"

"A team that no-one wants to play as we will rip the court up running and shooting the lights out"

Oh and I believe the unofficial reason why AR could not make the call today was not because the Hamster that usually powers the computer of Broadnet was infact out cruising the streets in his Red Kia Motor! instead it is reported that AR heard an ice-cream van go by the studio and as he is trying to bulk up....he ran off after it!

;)

Truth be heard.....

BritWarriorGSW — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:13:03 -0000

It is clear that there is a HUGE amount of dissatisfaction from the majority of Golden State Warrior fans for the way the 2008-2009 season has developed. However the majority is also not venting this displeasure at the players (some fell off moped’s punch drunk on cash, some sulked like babies to get more cash here or elsewhere, some lost form, some shone very brightly, etc) no…instead the majority of fans from the impression I get is that the Front Office is possibly more disliked now than it has ever been?

Unfortunately Bay Area basketball fans seem to be amongst the most dedicated in the league and as such they dearly love their basketball and as such they will pay money to go watch their team. Some might point out that such attendance is in some way shape or form an indication that the club is clearly fully supported by its fans when in fact I do not think this is the case.

So just for people to give their own display and for this never to be refuted by management as “Media spin” I have decided to post the question below.

If Christopher Cohan has a single interest in the concerns of the fans that support the club he owns, he might consider certain positions within the organization. If people have been seen to have done a bad job then they should be fired, pure and simple. Maybe every Club 200 season ticket holder should sign up to a law suit suing the organization for compensation following the statement made by Robert Rowell? It seems money is the primary driving factor in this organizations consideration of fans and yes they dropped prices for next year, but how does this compensate the fans of this year, other than guarantee more money in the bank now?

Some have suggested a boycott of the Arena. This is hard to do when we as fans are so loyal to our team and we enjoy supporting our team, however there must be means by which the fans must be heard and this will be either in the form of a poll, a petition, or protests before games for changes to be made in the front office.

If you read in the media guide that is issued to media with regards to people and positions, there are a number of senior positions now held by people who started off as ticket sales interns. The problem that occurs here is your management team becomes an Ivory Tower. They are groomed in the style and manner of the existing organization members and thus you get a blinkered view of the world and one where you dare not step out of line. This organization NEEDS fresh blood to come into the Front Office and help sort out the mess that this season was. It needs to embrace the fact that there might be people who are die hard Warriors fans who might also have a great deal of business knowledge and experience that can assist this Basketball franchise to become one of the most successful in the league with a fan base that is pleased with the front office and their treatment from said office.

For example, blame was put by one season ticket rep to me on the diabolical lines and food service at Oracle Arena as being the fault of Levy restaurants as they have the contract for the food and beverages and thefore it is not the fault of the Warriors. Am I then to assume they will have their contract terminated this offseason, or does the organization intend to reward poor performance with continued business. That all depends on what the Franchise actually thinks of its fans, and this year, that was not very much in Club 200.

This franchise NEEDS some marketing, organizational and business minded Pitbull’s to come into the fold and start making sweeping changes before next year. Throughout the year Season Ticket reps were voicing the concerns relayed to them throughout the whole season….and nothing was done. That means that whoever was at the top of the tree responsible for season ticket holders, failed miserably in their job. Alternatively they also banged their fist on the table and said “this simply isn’t good enough we have to change” or…said person was in fact overruled by the senior management of this franchise and told not to worry about it? However the company President was quick tolay blame and point fingers at others, stating that he would “kick the backsides of those responsible at the back of this room”. However nothing has been stated or mentioned as to what will be done yet at the same time the organization is saying “give us your money..we cannot do this without you”.

So the question below is posed and it is a simple yes or no answer. At the very least, this will indicate the current level of fan perception of the front office of this franchise, what Mr Cohan then does with that, is down to him.

Poll

In the eyes of the fans, has the Golden State Warriors front office failed miserably in its duties this year?

Yes

178 votes

No

16 votes

194 votes | Poll has closed