This year's draft is deep, very deep. There are intriguing propects all the way to the beginning of the second round. At the top, there are probably 10 players in this draft that would have gone before Tristan Thompson at the number 4 pick last year. This year's draft is also bigger, both in height and weight, than the usual draft. There are three 7 foot centers slated to go in the first round and all of them are thick boned and big bodied. There are numerous legit 6 foot 10 players in this draft. In last year's draft Tristan Thompson measured 6 foot 9 and he was considered the athletic big bodied prospect in the draft, and Derrick Favors from 2 years ago was considered a can't pass on big men at 6' 10" and 246 lbs. Compared that to Andre Drummond, who is 6' 11" and 275 lbs. Taking a look at next year's draft. All the tall center propsects are really thin players.

It's not a bad year to have more than one pick, and I can see the Warriors ending up with 2 big men out of this draft. Big men take longer to develop and are projects. However, great bigs are such rare commodities, teams should strategize and use their resources first and foremost on them. Much like how the NFL teams draft QB's high just because the position is so important to the team. This is an exceptionally deep draft for big men. I would urge the Warriors, if they retain their lottery pick after May 30th, to use it on a big man. Here is a list of the top prospects:

Center: Drummond, Zeller, Leonard, Melo

Power Forwards: Davis, Robinson, Perry Jones, Terrance Jones, Sullinger, Henson, Moultrie, Nicholson

If the Warriors get the top pick, take Anthony Davis. When scouting services rate Davis's best case scenario as Kevin Garnett and worst case as Marcus Camby, you know he is an exceptional talent. He's the phenom. It doesn't matter that he's skinny, just like it doesn't matter that Chris Paul is short for his position.

If we get the second pick, take Drummond. Drummond is an exceptional athlete for a player his size and he is only 18. Drummond is the best center prospect since Oden and could be the dominant center in the NBA in his prime. Watch the highlights and see the two plays where there is a turnover and Drummond drives it himself to the hoop and scores. When was the last time you saw a big men that size move like that? Again, he's 6 ' 11" and 275 lbs. That's why, come draft night, Drummond is going to go second. I don't think any GM will end up passing on him. There are questions about his motor running hot and cold and questions about his focus, but unquestionably Drummond has the most upside besides Davis in this draft.

Andre Drummond Freshman Highlights 2011-2012 (via mafisher13)

Third pick, take Thomas Robinson. Robinson is the next coming of Carlos Boozer and Robinson is taller. Robinson is just a relentless bulldozer of a rebounder and offensive scorer. He is tough and he just goes after it. The difference between him and Sullinger is that Robinson is athletic and he is built. So all those effort plays are just that much more effective with Robinson. He can't shoot like Boozer but everything else he does is already at the NBA level. He is the best rebounder in this draft. He has the highest pace adjusted per 40 minute rebound rate. He also draws lots of fouls. He really should have been the NCAA tournament MVP but Kansas lost.

Implicit in these picks is passing up on Kidd Gilchrist. I understand his appeal but I do not agree he is a good top 3 pick. Kidd Gilchrist is going to find it tougher on all fronts because he doesn't have the exceptional physical build for his position. His build is average. Even in college, he is not above average on the offensive end and in the NBA, his offense is going to be way below average until he develops his game. On the defensive end, he is going to have a tough time guarding the top small forwards in the NBA. Small forward is a position lacking depth in the NBA and Kidd Gilchrist will be able to guard the bottom half of the league, but against the top forwards, he's at quite a disadvantage. Durant, Lebron, Carmelo, Gallinari, Deng, Granger, Gay, Igoudala, and Gerald Wallace are all not just bigger, but taller than him. I love his toughness and I love players with heart and hustle.

Last year, I had a fan post about Faried and how we should pick him. Even while he never moved up the draft board I still had Faried as someone we should pick behind Irving, Kanter and Biyombo, ahead of Thompson. (Klay worked out great for us.) What I saw in Faried was his motor and physicality would still be elite in the NBA. I don't see that level of elite athletic ability in Kidd Gilchrist. I am not saying Faried will be a better player than Kidd Gilchrist. I think Kidd Gilchrist will be the better player but in this year's deep draft, I wouldn't pick him 3rd. If I drafted Kidd Gilchrist, I would serious consider moving him to shooting guard where his elite defensive instincts can be dominant. His size and quickness will allow him to become a shut down defensive player. If he can limit a player like Kobe, his value to his team will be very high.

I also posted in the past that Evan Turner is not worth a high lottery pick, for pretty much the same reasons. His build plus athleticsm together is just average and his skill set is not elite enough to become the type of star you would hope to get with the second pick. Even now, when Turner has a breakout game in the playoffs, people say he's found his groove. He has great games, but he cannot be consistantly dominant because nothing he does is dominant. He had a great game 2 and game 7 in the playoffs, but his average for the whole series is pretty much back to his below NBA average norm with a net minus on plus/minus stat. I do think Kidd Gilchrist will be better than Turner.

If the Warriors get the 7th pick, they should pick Meyers Leonard or trade down a few spots and pick him. Meyers Leonard didn't really play last year and began picking up speed this year. In the second half of this year, he was arguably as good a center as any in the NCAA. He played on a par with Sullinger head to head, out scoring Sullinger 21 to 9 in their second meeting. I've watched videos on all the big men and I believe Leonard has an incredibly high ceiling and relatively high floor. He's a little bit ungainly, but I love his basketball IQ, his legit 7' 1", 245 lbs build, and his athleticsm.

Meyers Leonard Highlight Mix (via swishscout)

Here is what he brings:

- His build is elite. When the Chicago combine comes, Meyers is going to measure incredibly well. 7 foot 1 or more in shoes and 245 lbs is not a stretch. He has a huge wingspan, 7 foot 3 inches. He's not just tall for NCAA. He is tall for the NBA. At 245 lbs, he's not thin either. He looks like he has big bones and will gain an additional 10 to 15 lbs easily. He is bigger, much more athletic, and has a much better mortor than Jeremy Tyler. (An aside on Tyler, when I watched him work out at the combines, he was in the worst condition of all the big men and his motor was the worst. When he plays now, he never seem to have enough to make more than a few athletic plays.)

- His offence and defense will translate to the NBA. He shoots well facing the basket and his go to move is a baby hook from the post, although not smooth but effective. Both of these will be just as unblockable in the NBA. He shoots 73% from the free throw line. He's still raw and needs work. On defense, he's already a legit shot blocker at the NBA level. He needs work on holding the post and blocking out on rebounds. That will come when he gains a little more weight and develops more.

- An lastly, he's only 20 years old. He played guard as a high school freshmen and center as a sophmore due to his sudden growth spurt. He barely played his freshmen season at Illinois. He can and should develop much more.

Here's Leonard winning the Illinoise State High School dunking championship. He's the second one.

2009 Illinois State High School Dunk Contest (via johnlogan90)

For the rest of the big men in this year's draft, here is a run down in the order I value them:

Arnett Moultrie. He's the best offensive player on the list and he rebounds. Everything he does offensively will translate to the NBA. At 6' 11", his step back jump shots are reminiscent of Garnett and Nowitzki. He has a quick release on his shots from outside and at 6' 11" those will be open to him in the NBA. He shoots .444 from 3 point range, although very few shots, and he is an efficient .549 field goal percentage scorer overall. He can handle to create shots for himself. You often hear that a big man can handle like a guard, but big men do not need to handle like a guard. They need to handle the ball the way Arnett Moultrie does. Put it on the floor to create space for shots or to penentrate the paint. He rebounded well in college at 10.6 per game. It's reasonable to think he'll rebound his position. His defense won't be a strong suit, but he could be an incredible offensive juggernaut. Moultrie's team did not do well this year and I believe he is somewhat undervalued because of that. Moultrie played against Kentucky this year. I didn't watch the game but I assume he matched up against Anthony Davis. Both came away with 13 points and 11 boards.

Arnett Moultrie Highlights (via 63Starlin)

Tyler Zeller as a power forward and back up center. Zeller is another quality prospect and I really like him as a Pau Gasol type player at power forward and back up center. In comparison to Leonard, Tyler Zeller has short arms and is not as athletic. Both of those traits are detriments to his center prospects in the NBA. Tyler is not a defensive intimidator. Tyler's game on the offensive side is similar to the type of game David Lee and Pau Gasol plays, quick turnaround hooks, run the floor, finesse big men. Tyler Zeller is 7 foot 250 lbs, the same size as Pau Gasol. Tyler can develop a smooth good 12 to 18 foot shot facing the basket. He shot them well this year but only took on the average a few shots a game. He shot 80% from the free throw line. It's really close between Zeller and Sullinger. It's a matter of preference as to who one picks. I simply like the Pau Gasol 7 footer power forward model better for the Warriors front line.

Sullinger. Sullinger has a higher floor than every one other than Anthony Davis. He is already very good and his game translates well to the NBA as a power forward. I wouldn't be surprised if Sullinger has the best rookie season out of everyone. I just don't think Sullinger has a very high ceiling. He really isn't comprabable to Paul Millsap. Millsap has one of the best 15 to 18 foot shooting percentages in the NBA, including guards. Millsap is a relentless energy player where as Sullinger is questioned for his motor. Sullinger is more of a Kevin Love type player. Love, to me, is a once in a generation player and Love is taller. Sullinger already has problems with length at the NCAA level and that will translate to the NBA.

Perry Jones and Terrance Jones. Both are really better fit at small forward rather than power forward. They're both a bit of a tweener. Watch Perry Jones' game highlights. He avoids contact on the offensive end and he doesn't post up. His offensive game is definitely more suited for small forwards and since his rebounding is poor. I wouldn't want him at power forward. I am not putting them in my big men rankings.

Perry Jones Mix - Baylor Highlights (via swooshnationdotcom)

Fab Melo. Not enough rebounds and not athletic enough for a high pick. If he is there at 30, he is worth the pick. He's better than Jeremy Tyler. Melo can play now in the NBA.

John Henson is the type of player I am very wary of. Wiry thin, not quite 7 foot, and he doesn't have an offensive game that translates to the NBA. He really can't play power forward or center in the NBA. If he gains weight to play power forward, his athletism is going to suffer because of the amount of weight he needs to gain. He can't shoot. He shot only 50% from the free throw line and that is standing still with no one guarding him. At this point, he can't even be a one way player because opponents will just back him down until Henson needs to foul them. In the NBA, he's basically an opportunity rebound put the ball back in the basket player on the offensive end and athletic opportunity shot blocker on the defensive end with very little other offense or defense to contribute. Lastly, it would be different if he is 18. He is already 21.

Nicholson. He's undersized and he actually regressed from his junior year to senior year. He also did not play in a major conference. Not a high first round pick consideration.

I can't recall a draft with so many good and productive big men that have the requisite NBA size. If we don't draft one this year, it would be an opportunity lost.

To recap my rankings for big men.

1) Davis

2) Drummond

3) Robinson

4) Leonard

5) Moultrie

6) Tyler Zeller

7) Sullinger

8) Fab Melo

9) Henson

10) Nicholson

Perry Jones and Terrance Jones were not considered for the power forward position.

For the 30th pick, I would love to have the Warriors trade up, if needed, to draft Quincy Miller. Miller is another undervalued player due to his knee injury from last year. He was a highly ranked player coming out of high school. He didn't play up to his potential this year due to his recovery from the injury. He's got all the tools and has great size to be a great small forward in the NBA. This is gamble worth taking in the second half of the first round.

p.s. I've held on to this post for a few weeks now and today I read the Warriors are indeed interested in Meyers Leonard for a mid first round pick.

Lastly, for all the draftniks. Here is the full North Carolina vs Kentucky game where as many as 7 players will go in the lottery. Watch how Tyler Zeller is the focus of the North Carolina offense and in the 2nd half he's double teamed as soon as he touches the ball.

#5 North Carolina @ #1 Kentucky 12-3-11 (Full Game) (via ruethewhirly)

 

Just two weeks ago, I posted about Warriors’ needing a new vision. (http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2011/4/4/2090118/warriors-are-badly-in-need-of-a-new-vision). That Thursday, Bob Myers began talking to the Warriors. His hiring is exactly what the Warriors need, a new vision from a talented up and comer. My faith in Joe Lacob has quadrupled since this hiring. Joe's energy and intelligence is going to make the difference. Even if the Myers hiring does not pan out, it shows me Mr. Lacob is imaginative and is trying to move the Warriors forward any way he can.

 

There is strong evidence Mr. Myers is already the #2 man on the basketball side behind Joe Lacob. He is in fact our de facto G.M. and you can be sure his voice will be the strongest on the team’s strategies going forward. Here are my observations:

 

1) Coach Smart. By all accounts, Bob Myers will have a significant say in all basketball related decisions, including coach Smart. Think about that. Riley and Lacob watched Smart for a year and they won’t make a coaching decision without the new guy because they want to discuss whether coach Smart fits into their strategic team vision. This is exactly the type of hiring I was looking for, some one who can change the fundamental thinking in the front office.

 

2) ‘Fast paced high octane offense.’ Who thought two weeks go, the Warriors would even entertain going back to that style of offense? Yesterday, Monte Poole wrote: “The Warriors seem committed to playing the high-octane game the Suns have patented.” This is news to many of us. When did the Warriors look like the Suns this season? The answer is rarely. 

 

On the same subject matter, Yahoo Sports reported: “Both Riley and Myers would prefer to keep David Lee at power forward but wouldn’t rule out a return to center, where he played for the New York Knicks.”  Again, this is news to us. Lee being looked at under different GM glasses? Riley didn’t say these things before.

 

What happened? Bob Myers, with a player’s and agent’s perspective, happened. Whatever made the Warriors do an about face on Sun’s style basketball, (I really thought we were not going to that style of basketball again), Myers probably had a lot to do with it.

 

Here’s my guess. We all know we need good players to join the Warriors in order to eventually win a championship. What Bob brings is not only the rolodex and the skill set to deal with negotiations and contracts, he brings an innate understanding of a player’s mind set and the player’s agent’s mind set. Question One from a perspective free agent. How are you, the Warriors, going to start winning? My guess is that every agent and every player believes if the Warriors want to win, they better play very fast or fundamentally change the team. Changing the team is not easy. There better be a fall back plan and I think Sun’s basketball is the fall back.

 

3) Lacob said Myers would ascent to the GM title within a few years. Myers is on a trial basis as a GM, not an assistant GM. How is Lacob going to evaluate Myers’ performance if Myer’s not going to be given the reins to make decisions and implement his agenda? On the flip side, as many of noted, Myers is not going to leave his career for anything less than a GM position.

 

I strongly felt Riley needed to be replaced. GMs need to give the team a viable combination of players, team vision and coach. All plans will work if you have every ingredient needed to make it work. In the NBA, you can’t always have what you need or want. I believe Riley can evaluate talent, however, I don’t believe he can weigh the value of a combination of players. This is evident by how hard his playoff plan is to achieve. Here’s his latest quote. “So we’ve got to get some size. Then we’ve got to add another guy to our bench. And we’re going to draft a guy. And the guy we draft should be good enough to make the team and then eventually have some impact. So you’ve probably got three guys. You’ve got to hit on all three of them for us to make the playoffs. But that’s the way it has to go.” This smacks of defeatism, setting the bar so low that you can’t be blamed if something goes wrong. Contrast this with Nelson of the We Believe run. Yes Nelson said we can make the playoffs with Dunleavy and Murphy. When he saw we can’t, he traded them. Then he said again we can make the playoffs. The Riley quote also smacks of lack of imagination.   

Oxymoron.

 

That’s a good word to describe a team with Ellis, Curry and Lee as their center pieces and their owner and their coach trying to win games by emphasizing defense. Joe, if you’re serious about keeping these 3 as the core, you cannot field an above average defensive team or even an average defensive team. Just can’t happen when 3 out of 5 of your starters are below average defenders at their positions. Stop trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. It’s frustrating and exhausting to watch.

 

Either trade one or two of them or run a high octane offense. This half way approach is going no where. Aptly, a Spurs analyst recently said about the Warriors, ‘This is Nellie ball without the offense’, a team without an identity.

 

I suspect part of the frustration from the fan base this year is due to the team’s lack of identity. When the knowledgeable fans buy into what the team is trying to do, they are often patient and understanding. How many of us understand what Smart is trying to do? And if you do understand it, do you agree with it? (My guess is Smart is trying to mold a tough defensively oriented team. See above for what I think of that. Don't make any turnovers and don't make a defensive mistake... Why is that important when the key is to get Curry more threes?)

 

A second part of the fan’s frustration is with the team’s stated plans for the future. We understand it but we don’t believe in it.

 

Here is what Riley and Lacob have intimated about “The Plan”. The Plan revolves around continuously getting better each year by adding pieces, strengthening both the staring rotation and the bench. The Plan’s goal is to make the Warriors a much better defensive team and significantly narrows the rebounding differential. The Plan is to get a low post offensive presence that will open up lanes for our perimeter players. The plan is to build around Lee, Curry and Ellis. The Plan is basically a crap shoot to get a center of great significance that can do all of the above. The Plan has almost zero chance of success.

 

As a business owner myself, my advice to Mr. Lacob is to put his ego aside and find professional help in terms of a top notch GM or a top notch Coach/GM. Why do the work Joe, when you can get a pro to do it for you? Do us long suffering fans a favor and hire the best for the job! We really do deserve nothing less.

 

I read comments/criticisms/suggestions on the GSOM board about Smart, Lee, Ellis, Curry, Law, this draft pick, that draft pick…you name it, we’ve criticized it. Getting a GM sits on top of my list because without a frame work to judge a player, or a coach, you don’t know who to keep and who to let go.

There's only one player on the Warriors I enjoy watching on a consistent basis: Curry. No matter what the score is or who we are playing against, when he is on the court, I am watching. Don't get me wrong. I love watching Ellis when he catches fire on offence or defense, or Dorell when he's shooting the lights out. But every minute Curry plays. I am fascinated. Maybe it's the way he has to compensate for his lack of NBA athleticism at all times. On defense, you can see him positioning himself every second. On offence, his moves are much more complex than an athletic player's moves, yet so smooth! Defenders think they have him and boom, he's 3 feet away shooting the ball. It's like watching alchemy or Luke Skywalker turning from a farm hand to a great Jedi on a nightly basis.

Mr. Lacob, as a life long Warriors fan I am asking you to please draft another player that I would enjoy watching every minute he plays. And I have a particular player in mind. Even more perfectly, he has everything we lack in spades: incredible heart, toughness, big man athleticism, efficiency, savage dunks, rebounds, rebounds and more rebounds. He is Mr. Kenneth Faried. Our own not so poor man's Blake Griffin. This guy had me at 'best rebounder in NCAA.'

Any Cal fans? Do you love watching Jorge? You'll love watching this guy play.

Here is ESPN's blog entry on him:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/19150/kenneth-faried-the-next-dennis-rodman

And here's the most extended play, in game highlights I can find. It's from 3 years ago when he was a freshman. # 35 K Time! (This clip only had 695 views compared to 450,000 views for Jimmer Fredette highlights.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0NcI4GZ1g&feature=related

I know he's not projected in the lottery yet, # 27 Draft Express # 16 Chad Ford, but look at our record in the draft. Could he be worse in value than Brandan Wright or Anthony Randolph? And what's wrong with a little reach with a super athletic, a little undersized, tough guy versus a super young guy? (Of course all of this advice is naught if W's lands a top 3 pick.)  

I know he plays the same position as Lee, and we just drafted Udoh, but frankly I don't care. I want entertainment, damn it! Did I say savage dunks? Savage Dunks! That's what's missing this year at the Oracle. Well, I want entertainment, toughness, defense and rebounds. On defense, I rather see a Rodman type man up on Griffin than Udoh trying to swat at him or Lee trying to out position him all game. I love Lee the person and like Lee the player, but there's a reason his nickname in New York is "the door man." Tough and nasty, he is not. 

And not to tout my own draft expertise, but I did say on record:

Noah over Wright

Robin Lopez over Randolph  (OK I did say if Nelly wanted AR, I am for it.)

Curry pick great!

Monroe over Udoh (Like everyone.) And more importantly. No Evan Turner! 'I don't want Turner' that comment drew hell-fire.

OK I did tout myself and I admit I was lucky. The point is, I am pumped for next year already because of this guy. (I know this last statement makes me a true Warriors fan... pathetically loyal and eternally hopeful.)

http://www.fromthebaseline.com/videos/2586-steve-kerr-speaks-amare-stephen-curry

So the deal was Beans, B Wright and the 7th pick for Amare. The Warriors declined the deal when Curry fell to the 7th pick.. Notice how Kerr specifically said the 7th pick and not Curry. 

For all the Nelson detractors, this has got be one of the best moves he made for the sake of the Warrior's future.

Look at the circumstances.and movtivations he had to make the trade.

1) He was going for the all time win record.

2) Curry had lots of doubters and was not a sure thing.

3) We already had Monta. Keeping Curry would create discontent. Not just from Monta. Jackson too became upset.

4) Warriors sucked for so long. This trade would have been incredibly popular, at least for one season.

Making the trade was the easy way out. Amare, Jackson, Monta would have meant possilbe playoff and a for sure win record. Not a bad way to ride off into the sunset. Coaching vets would've been much easier for Nelson and Amare was the perfect Nellie ball big.

When Jackson started acting up, the trade still could have been made but wasn't. That vast is the gap between Jordan Hill and Stephan Curry. Despite all the pressures, Nelson saw that clearly and made the right decision for us. In the process, he put himself in a position he probably did not want to be in, coach for a young rebuilding team..

What does Lacob and Gruber need to do to bring a championship to the Bay?

 

There’s a vast difference between winning regularly and winning a championship.

 

I have to admit, I have been a proponent of the “crawl before you walk” strategy. Let’s get good enough first, then look for the final pieces to fall in place. In the back of my mind, with Cohan as owner and Nelson as coach, this was a very satisfactory goal for us Warrior fans.

 

With the new ownership in place, the Warrior’s possibilities and my dreams for the Warriors have been raised. Lacob has said he wanted to make the Warriors a prime West Coast franchise. Part of me now really wants the Warriors to put winning a championship as the only goal and make bold moves to try to accomplish that goal, even if that means more losing in the mean time for the team. Swing for the fences! No pain no glory! If Lacob’s goal is to win a championship, we need to alter the present course.

 

1)     An examination of NBA champions reveal that in 95% of the cases, there is a superstar on the team, an alpha dog type of player who gives you a huge advantage on both sides of the court. A player that can generate a large plus number on offense and similarly on defense is hard for another team to overcome.  Kobe, Garnett, Shaq, Duncan are the most recent examples. The Warriors do not have that player. The hardest part about building a championship is acquiring that player.

 

2)     You obtain a superstar via draft, trade or free agency. In the case of trade and free agency, the team has to be attractive enough to the superstar, which usually means the player must see the possibility of winning a championship to join the team. The team must have credibility, which usually means the player must believe in the system, the coach, the front office, and other players already on the team. The more positives you can put together, the more credibility you have.

 

3)     Trade and free agency has become as important if not more than the draft. In the last few years, we’ve seen Shaq pick Miami, Lebron and Bosh pick Miami, Garnett picking Boston to sign a long term contract, Gasol going to the Lakers. In these examples you see the credibility behind each organization. Lakers and Celtics have a long tradition of success and Pat Riley has won championships.

 

4)     The up tempo system we are running is not conducive to winning championships. 

 

"We try not to make rash decisions, but we will make bold decisions. We're going to take some chances.” Joe Lacob.

 

Recommendations:

 

A) The coach hire. This is perhaps the most important step in Warriors acquiring credibility. Warriors as a franchise do not have the legacy that Lakers and Celtics have. We would need to build credibility with other means. We need a coach who players will look at and believe the coach can lead them to a championship. Top of my list, we need to pry Pop away from San Antonio. Pop has won championships and did work for the Warriors as an assistant coach. San Antonio is in decline and will not offer Pops as much money as the Warriors will. Pop can be both the head coach and GM. He will give us instant credibility and bring a championship style of play to the Warriors. We might have to wait until the next season, 2011-12, to get a crack at Pop. I would wait until then and see if we can possibly get him.  

 

He's an onery coach, especially to the media. He won't be a  favorite in the press and he may not come. He's 61, not too old by NBA standards. He still has time to build another dynasty if he so chooses. The Bay Area is a bigger market and without anothe Duncan, San Antonio may not be able to compete in free agency and other aspects.

 

B) Stock draft picks and clear cap room. We’ve seen in the Lebron sweepstakes that 2 max contract cap room was not enough to lure him. The Warriors as constructed can clear cap room for 1 max player next off season. Boston had enough room for both Ray Allen and Garnett in their fate altering off season. The ability to add 2 max contracts give a lot more flexibility to construct a very strong team.

 

High draft picks are key in both having a better chance at a super star and having valuable trade chips to trade for a high level player.

 

In order to clear more cap room and obtain more draft picks, the recommendation here is to plan to trade Biedrins and Ellis. Curry and Lee are our top 2 players. It’s a good start. With those two and ample cap space, we might be able to lure a great player to play in the Bay. Additionally, if Biedrins and Ellis bring back high draft picks in return, those are valuable trade chips for the Warriors to have.  Trading before the deadline or after the season gives both players a chance to increase their value, especially if the Warriors play well.

 

As currently constructed the Warriors have no chance to win the championship. The new game in building NBA teams is free agency and in order to win at that, you need cap space, good core players on the team and credibility.

 

Strangely enough if Cohan was still here, I would lean towards keeping the Nellie – Riley regime together for a few more years. Now that he’s gone, I want to tear up the whole thing.

 

 

What possibly can Riley be thinking? What ever it was, you can be sure Nelson had a lot to do with it.

Nellie needs PFs that can shoot. The ability to hit the jumper stretches defenses, opens up lanes for drives and opens up passing lanes. AR's jumper is the weakest part of his game. That's why giving up AR was not a deal breaker. Lee has become one of the best long range 2 point shooting PFs in the NBA with a 0.436 conversion rate (I read that somewhere).  Lee is developing a 3 point shot this offseason. It's no wonder Riley had one main target this offseason and was willing to give up anyone but Curry to get it done. Lee's agent credits the trade to Riley and his tireless pursuit of D Lee. Chad Ford earlier tweeted the deal was Ellis and Biedrins for Lee. This shows that no one was untouchable for this deal, except Curry.

If you need to see where this trade came from, you only have to look at Nellie's past. More precisely the Mavericks, where he had another offensively gifted, defensively challenged power forward who is considered soft but a good rebounder. Sound familiar?

Here is the starting roster and stats of the 2003 Mavericks that won 60 games under Nelson.

Dirk 25.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists 1.4 steals, 1.0 Blocks

Finley 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks

Nash 17.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks

Van Excel, 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks

LaFrentz 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.3 blocks

Here’s Lee’s stats from last year:

Lee 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.05 steals, 0.5 blocks

 

So in dubs land.

Lee is the new Dirk.

Curry is the new Nash

Ellis is the new Finley

Meet the new Don, same as the old Don.

The players I want:

Wall, Favors, Johnson, Cousins

in that order. I know we need a big man, but I just think Johnson's game at SF is perfect for us. He can shoot, slash, rebound, block and pass. 

 

The players I don't want:

Turner, Aminu, Monroe, Davis, Aldridge, Patterson

If we pick 5th, I like Monroe

If we pick 6th, I like Turner.

Turner's game doesn't look like it translates well to the NBA. Not athletic enough, not great handles and not a great shooter. I can't see Aminu doing his power moves or athletic moves in the NBA. Aminu needs to be cratfy like Millsap but I don't think he is. 

Wall, Favors, Cousins, Johnson have NBA ready games. Looking at their highlights, I can imagine them thriving in a bigger and faster leaque.

 

Here is your chance to put down your big board for posterity's sake.  More importantly, who do you want? Who don't you want?

 

Here are the best highlight mixes I can find on each player. I tried to pick the highlights from 2009-2010.

1) John Wall. Superstar guard.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfINBYmGD1A&feature=fvst

2) Favors. A little Amare and a little Dwight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHld4VItav0

3) Johnson. The Matrix II with a better stroke.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3j4RlsZ6E&feature=player_embedded

4) Cousins. Big and skilled enough to be a dominant center.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguMhLzrABw&feature=fvsr

5) Monroe. Can pass, score and rebound, but he's slow and I don't see much fire in his play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12jkUxKCqY&feature=related

6) Turner. Just does not excite me.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr0gI1cMfus&feature=fvsr

7) Davis. Very raw.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o980Awigm7c

8) Aminu. Sort of a tweener to me. A Mags type SF.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aminu+highlights&aq=f