People have been floating a lot of names around for who the Warriors should be picking up this summer via free agency or trades. We have all carefully weighed-out in our minds the Amare trade that will never happen. Recently, names such as Rasheed, Boozer, Bass have been floated around among others. Marion anyone?

The Suns want too much for Amare (Biedrins is the best contract/ position player on our team/ Curry is the straw that breaks the Thunder's back). Rasheed would be fun if we were trying to win it all now, but that is not the case. Instead, I would prefer to let Randolph start taking some threes. I would also prefer to not lead the league in techs. A one year rent-a-Boozer would be fine for a Maggette/ Wright swap, but Utah would never go for it. Bass is nice, but we would have to offer him up to the full midlevel for Dallas not to match.

I agree with the sentiments of a w00143881; our next move should be nothing, beyond cheap pickups. Resign CJ, maybe find another undrafted free agent diamond in the ruff, like we seem to be so good at, and run with our team healthy for once. The worst thing we have done over the last few years was sign or extend players to contracts that are too big/ too long (Stephen/ Corey) and losing future flexibility should We Believe 2.0 not materialize.

Keep in mind that we have some players with pretty hefty contracts signed for periods extending over the time in which most of these players will need to be resigned. Monta ($11M -> 2015), Biedrins ($10M-> 2015), S-Jaxx ($7M-> 2014), Corey (9M-> 2014), Ronny (4.5M-> 2012), & Buike (3M-> 2011).

It would also be nice to restrain from blowing our load this summer, as teams will need cap space to get players in the 2010 FA market. And lets face it, for one of the big names to come to the Warriors, we will need more cap space than others. Unless we can move some of these *cough Maggette* it might become difficult to land major talent and resign our emerging stars.

I am all for maintaining a squad that has good players with stable and reasonable contracts (Monta, Biedrins, Turiaf, Buike). Plus, we need to leave some room to resign some of our diaper dandies this summer if they continue to improve (Wright, Belli, Morrow) in two years (RANDOLPH) in three (Curry). People haven't considered that if Randolph/ Curry become as good as we all think they can be, they may do like every other budding GSW star has done when it comes time for an extension and the Warriors can't/ will not afford it: bounce (Jamison, Gilbert, Baron, Dampier j/k).

This time, lets make All-Stars out of the talent we have and pay them accordingly.

via i648.photobucket.com

via www2.pictures.zimbio.com

In an attempt to break up the depressing offseason, I was wondering about GSOM's take on the funniest moments recently from the NBA world and elsewhere. I realize post-Nazi's would want this as a fanshot or somewhere else entirely, but I want to attach a poll. Here are my options, feel free to add any which I left off.

#1: What did the five fingers say to the back of the head?... Slap B*tch! When asked about it in the post-game interview with David Aldridge, Eddie House (Bay Native) said: "That's what happens when you start busting somebody's ass". The Slap- Where ____ Happens

#2: Barack Obama killed it at the White House Correspondents Dinner. He had such jokes as: "Cheney couldn't be here tonight. He's writing his memoirs, tentatively entitled 'How to Shoot Friends and Interogate People"/ "Micheal Steele is in the House tonight... or I should say: in the heezy!.. Wassup! The Republican Party does not qualify for a bailout, and Rush Limbaugh is not a troubled asset". Obama Got Jokes

#3: The Atlanta Hawk (Falcon) was flying above the Court during the MIA v. ATL game. While he was hired to peck out the eyes of the Heat players, he was just dying to be on camera. Hawks have 6 players on the Court

#4: Lebron & Co. explode with excitement and struggle to restrain themselves after Mo Williams wins a jump ball for only the second time in his career.

#5: Mark Cuban pushes cameraman in frustration after Melo dropped the game winner, after the Antoine Wright foul non call. Money Can't Buy You Love

#6: Cocky Lakers get blown out by a Yao-Mac-less Rockets team in Game 4.

#7: Phil Jackson disses on Craig Sager's suit. Craig Sager needs a new tailor

#8: Something Chuck said or some funny picture with Chuck's head photoshopped on it.

#9: Whatever Cohan is thinking right now...think harder

#10: Glen "Big Baby" Davis hits the game winning jumper and then pushes the smallest kid in the first row. Big Baby Cares

Our beloved ex patriot Warrior, Baron Davis, debuts tonight for the Clippers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. As a Warrior Fan living in the lower state, the coming year promises to be bitter sweet.

The preseason game has just started and Baron has around 7 points/ 5 assists half way into the first quarter. I'm torn between rooting for him (easy in this case considering that he's playing the hated Lakers), and hoping that he fizzles this season to justify the prudent and stingy decision-making of management. One thing i think we will definitely  improve on is shot selection... sans Jackson. Baron is still throwing up uglies.

When you watch him this season, will you be rooting for him/ hating on him? And what's with his decision to change his number from 5 to 1? The Almighty $Dollar$ perhaps. Oh, I suppose the CAt snatched it from him. Personally, I'll be wishing Baron his usual dominance, just not at the cost of at better record in the Pacific Division.

So long as we're all stuck in the purgatory of mid-summer hypothesizing, I was wondering what you fellow NBA junkies thought of next year's draft.

2009 is shaping up to be very interesting, and I'd like it to be different than the blasé 9-15 picks that we are eternally damned with (every year we seem good enough to play our way out of both the lottery and the playoffs). 

I'd like to treat this in two ways:

1. Assume that the Warriors will battle their way to above .500 and end up with a 13-22 pick (playoffs pending). This puts us in the same horrible position that we have been in the past few years. At this position, all of the marquee players at each position are gone. Faced with the prospect  of, once again, picking "talent/ upside", would it be most expeditious to package the pick in a trade this year considering that our "talent" is being choked on the bench? We may also want to free up cap/ roster space down the line to be able to sign FA's in '09 and '10, or to reup on the youngsters in '11. I for one, don't want to see many more projects, I'm starting to like some of ours and I want the see them get a chance.

2. Heaven help us if the Warriors' road heavy early schedule takes its toll and the W's end up 10 under .500 at the break. At this point Nelly will either take an early vacation to Hawaii, or just goes ultra reverse crazy Nelly and let the youngins play. I can see it now, Ant. Randolph the point forward doing ally oops to Bwright, and CJ and Buike runnin the break, giving each around 20 minutes a game. Belinelli too, i guess, but ill-advised threes are tiresome. I, for one, would welcome this strategy not only because it would be fun to witness the unearthing of the hidden gems of talent in our secluded young stars, but, if we tank hard enough, we would have a shot at a lottery pick or maybe another pick at about 5-10. Considering that this would make nearly all players available, who do you want to see?

Ricky Rubio (PG), Demar Derozan (SG/SF), Blake Griffen (C), branden jennings (PG), tyler hans (PF), jrue holliday (PGSG), james harden (SG), BJ Mullens (C), Tyreke Evans (SG)

Or, more importantly, what is your draft strategy?

Our most pressing need over the last few years has been the same: a big man at the 4, or 5 that can rebound and score (from outside = a Nelly + ). We've ended up with O'Bryant, Perovic, BWright, Hendrix, A-Randolph (kinda). The Skinnies have all the talent and none of the ability to play yet. The bigger guys probably peaked when they were Juniors in high school and yet are considered more 'NBA ready'. So, do you pick the best talent available, the best player where you need the most help such as- best PF,  do we go for the future of our guard positions and find Monta a high flying running mate, who could hopefully shoot the three, or even a franchise PG to allow Monta to do what he do +1 ?

Personally, it's been fun imagining Rubio throwin those oops on the W's. But a big bruiser would be nice too.