SB Nation User Blog: b.radley

Letter to Stephen Jackson: Jack, read this and digest. Sincerely, Warriors fans From...

b.radley — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:44:31 -0000

Letter to Stephen Jackson:

Jack, read this and digest.

Sincerely,
Warriors fans

From TrueHoop:

I read an article this weekend about swimmer Michael Phelps. Did you know that early in one of his gold medal races in Beijing his goggles filled with water? If you've ever had that happen, you know that makes you essentially blind. But he says he prepares mentally for that kind of thing, so that he won't react negatively. He counted his strokes to know where the wall was, performed flawlessly, and set a world record. Imagine, however, if when the water entered his goggles, he had let himself play the victim. It would have been very human to think something like: "My big race, I have trained years for, and my stupid goggles malfunction? Why must this crap happen to me?" At the moment all this happens he's trying to get his muscles to perform like a finely honed symphony. I put it to you that it's just about impossible to do that perfectly, to perform at your best, while feeling sorry for yourself. I can't prove it, but my theory is that victimhood is incongruent with elite performance. And here's where I think about the degree to which a lot of NBA players and coaches obsess about NBA referees. Yes, random bad things happen to athletes. But I suspect that there is also a performance cost to paying bad calls too much heed. It's just water in your goggles, right? Happens to everyone. Keep swimming.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-122/Three-Things-You-Can-Learn-About-Basketball-While-on-Vacation.html

Should we try to trade for Rubio?

b.radley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:52:19 -0000

Rubio expressed little interest in going to Minnesota before the draft. They took him anyway, because any new GM would rather draft the "right" player and then start shopping him than pass on a future superstar and have it haunt him for his entire career.

Now Rubio's father has suggested in the Minnesota media that if he doesn't get traded he might stay in Europe. Meanwhile, Minnesota already drafted a second "true" PG (Flynn) and basically has no shooting guards on their team... So this begs an important question that is completely realistic to consider: Should the W's try to trade for Rubio?

Last night a heated discussion broke out over the possibility of trading for Amar'e. I was skeptical at first, because I'm worried we'll end up getting bled dry of useful, affordable assets (esp. Kelenna) and bilked for a big contract. It sounds like it's a possibility, so now's the time to debate options. I have to believe getting Rubio is possible because:

the W's run, and are a perfect match for Rubio's pass-and-run talents
plenty of Spanish speakers in the Bay Area (new market for the W's?)
W's would be high profile enough for Rubio to make some endorsement money in the states
W's are chock-full-o-SGs, which is precisely the position the Wolves need to fill
Wolves would also like a "real" center, so they can shift Jefferson to his natural position at 4

So let's think about it. Shooting from the hip in terms of what we might be able to compose for the trade, but what about some combination of:

Curry (who the Wolves would have taken if Rubio wasn't available), so they "break even" with him
Monta or Biedrins
Morrow or Marco
Kelenna
Possibly BWright or Acie Law

In return we could expect an expiring PF to make salaries match, like Brian Cardinal or Etan Thomas or both.

The fundamental question is whether we would rather have a max-salary *current* superstar PF or a rookie contract *potential* superstar PG. Thoughts?

Oh, and yeah, I know, Dan Fegan is his agent. F#% that guy. He couldn't convince Rubio not to play for the W's for his rookie contract, and once we get rolling with a successful team then it's just a question of whether or not we pay him as a superstar... Evidently we're considering it for Amar'e, so I have to believe we'd do it for a proven Rubio too...

UPDATE: Good article on TrueHoop about Kahn's options (Minny GM)

Poll

Should the W's consider trading for Rubio, as an alternative to Amar'e?

Get Rubio! PG's rule the world these days and he could be one of the best.

53 votes

Get Amar'e! I like our perimeter game; let's get some muscle.

76 votes

It's all in the terms... who do we have to give up?

66 votes

195 votes | Poll has closed

PASS THE $#&1N9 BALL!

b.radley — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:22:12 -0000

PASS THE $#&1N9 BALL!

Pass the ball.
Pass the ball.
Pass the ball.
Pass the ball.
Ditto.

Should the W's Consider Trading Randolph?

b.radley — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:13:37 -0000

First, let me apologize to Anthony if he reads this. It's gotta feel like he's on a rollercoaster these days. I almost hesitate to post this poll, because you never know how it might turn out...

That being said, I want to get everyone here's opinion. The W's are sliding into suckdom, I think we'll all agree. When this happens, folks tend to panic or demand drastic action. Obviously, we all know that we're missing Monta -- but I think we also probably agree that he's not singlehandedly going to turn things around.

So, let's consider the state of affairs. It feels like the Warriors are on the verge of going into fire-sale mode. Front office chaos, disgruntled players, major losing streak, etc. All the signs are there. This would be the time the vultures smell desparation and start circling...

With that as a background, and with the recognition that we're already 7-20 this season (which makes the playoffs seem pretty darn near out of the question for 2009), I ask you loyal fans:

Would you consider trading Anthony Randolph?

Give your answer within the context above, and without any fantasies that we're going to get someone magic like LeBron or Wade. If we were to trade him, it would almost certainly be in a package deal with one of our vets (Maggette, Crawford, maybe even Jackson at this point). Given our fire-sale mode, we'd most likely get someone of roughly equivalent value -- so for example Maggs and Randolph for Gerald Wallace.

It might happen, so now's the time to speak up. Should we entertain offers? Should he be untouchable?

Poll

Should the Warriors Consider Trading Anthony Randolph?

Yes, at this point we should do whatever it takes to try and get back on track.

21 votes

Yes, if we can unload a bad contract and get equal value.

54 votes

No, give him some time to develop; this season's a wrap.

195 votes

No. If the W's trade AR I'm giving up on this team.

107 votes

377 votes | Poll has closed

Should we renew Mullin and/or Nelson?

b.radley — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:45:36 -0000

Just wondering how folks are feeling about the Warriors dragging their feet on renewals. Obviously they don't have to do anything immediately, but the longer they wait the higher the odds someone else is going to try to swoop in and take these guys. If we're serious, logic tells me we should lock them up while the market is relatively stable (ie. without other teams shopping for GMs/coaches).

So what do you think? Should we fans get organized and start putting pressure on the organization to renew, or give it a little time to see how the season unfolds, or start rooting for a change at the top?

Poll

Should the Warriors renew Mullin and/or Nelson?

Yes, renew them both ASAP.

74 votes

Renew Mullin, not Nellie.

20 votes

Renew Nellie, not Mullin.

29 votes

No rush, let's check back at mid-season.

40 votes

No to both, time for a change in leadership.

12 votes

175 votes | Poll has closed

Warriors Sign Andris Biedrins

b.radley — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:48:49 -0000

ESPN is reporting its sources confirm that Beans is en route to a 6 year deal valued at ~$63MM. The 5th year is reportedly a player option.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3507385

Figured I'd go ahead and get the discussion started with an official post. I'll remove the (?) when the Warriors confirm.

So we know one thing: signing Beans significantly limits our options for acquiring new players. We're now officially over the salary cap.

Anyone want to weigh in on what this means to our options for landing a big time RFA?

UPDATE (FJ): Twisted Lister posted this in a recent fanpost, "Biedrins is locked up!":

Well done, Mully!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/27/SPO0120GQU.DTL&tsp=1

This solidifies the make-up of the Warriors for the next five seasons. I'm very happy they took care of business & didn't let the Euro-League BS rumors become a big factor.

Any more moves up Mullin & Nelson's sleeves? Do they trade Harrington or keep him or are they done for the off-season?

Thoughts?

Warriors Sign Anthony Morrow

b.radley — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:52:39 -0000

Announcers in the Rocky Mountain Review just said that late yesterday the Warriors announced that they were signing Anthony Morrow. That's the first I've heard of that anywhere. Anyone else seen anything?

He's been shooting lights out, and he's reputed to be a good defender too. Maybe he'll turn out to be a nice replacement for Air France.

From the games I saw in Vegas (went out for 3 of them) he looked solid.

Assuming it's true, another nice move from Mully!

UPDATE:

Since confirmed (below). A-MO is a Warrior!

Vegas Summer League: Game 1 Thoughts

b.radley — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:09:50 -0000

In spite of the crappy video quality, I watched most of the first and fourth period.

Quick observations:

1. BWright looks just as skinny as last year. He's got a nose for blocks, but he seems to still get pushed around inside. Didn't really feel like I saw anything new.

2. Randolph has handles. Handles = big "three" rather than skinny "four"; I can see where Nellie is coming from. He also looks like he can create from outside (using those handles). Which might mean he can play this year -- same way Durant was able to play last year (by staying out of the paint). I already like this draft pick.

3. Belinelli is a friggin machine gun. Throw enough of them up there and you're bound to hit something. He does still have a sweet shot, and maybe the fastest release in the game. But his shot selection stunk. He looks mediocre at best bringing the ball up the court. He does seem to have decent court vision and had some nice dimes, but his decision-making on passes isn't always up to snuff (takes too many gambles). Couldn't tell how he looks physically. I think he lost his baby fat, but not sure he went all Rambo on us.

4. CJ is ok, but still needs work. He's not our starting guard, that's for sure. Might make the team as a backup, but might not if we pick up another guard that is bigger. He's quick but seems to dribble a bit too much at times, and he's small. Small seems to mean he has a hard time seeing the court like you'd want him to. His fundamental problem is that he's a scorer being forced to play the point due to his size... Sound familiar?

That's really all I have right now. Figured I drop this as a starter so others could pile on (if anyone else actually saw the game). Would live to hear feedback from anyone who was there. Hopefully Pree can jump in later with his courtside observations.

I'll be in Vegas next week for the rest of the games, so I'll have my own first-hand input to offer then...

Trade for Krstic and M.Williams?

b.radley — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:44:52 -0000

Yet another trade post, but I haven't seen this one yet.

Sounds like the Nets are interested in a sign-and-trade for Krstic, as they work to clear up cap space for their 2010 run at LeBron... Why haven't we heard any talk about him?

Word is that the Nets are waiting for someone else to make an offer to Krstic, and set his market value. The 76ers were looking at him closely, but obviously that deal is off now that they have Brand. Clips are the other logical alternative, but Okafor seems like he might be their first pick (or Smith, though my money is on Okafor). But what about the W's?

Now hear me out: Krstic is 7', weighs about 260, turns 25 this month, and can bang underneath. He's also got a solid post game and very reliable mid-range jumper. His PER has been *hot* up until he got hurt -- an ACL injury two years ago, so this is all contingent on how he checks out... His injury slowed him down and took him off some radars, but when healthy he was looking like the real deal. Oh, and did I mention that he can run the court. Kinda like Biedrins with a mid-range game...

Yes, he throws another wildcard into the mix down low. But why not get another big with a midrange and a decent hook -- esp. if he's a contributor? He averaged 16/7 in 32 mins/game his second season in the leage, and shoots close to 50% from the field for his career, although he doesn't shoot the 3.

Meanwhile, the Nets are also looking to unload Marcus Williams. He's a 22 year old 6'3", 205 true PG with good vision and a good handle. Maybe a little smaller than we want, and not necessarily known as a fabulous defender, but he's a decent asset that lost value when they picked up Devin Harris. Could make an ok backup plan for Monta, who has potential to grow into more...

Now, I've been the one BEGGING the Warriors not to trade Al for scraps, because his expiring will be very valuable next year. But these aren't scraps, esp. not Krstic. And as it turns out, the Nets are looking for a wing who can score *today*. I'm sure Al would love to get back to his true position, and he also fits the Net's gameplan to clear cap space for the 2010 free agent run at LeBron.

So, what do you guys think? Would you trade Harrington to the Nets for Nenad Krstic and Marcus Williams?

PS -- sorry for bringing you into this Al. I dig your game, but if it's a foregone conclusion that you're leaving I'm just brainstorming. I'm also happy to keep you around... :)

SB Nation User Blog: b.radley

Letter to Stephen Jackson: Jack, read this and digest. Sincerely, Warriors fans From...

Should we try to trade for Rubio?

Should the W's consider trading for Rubio, as an alternative to Amar'e?

Get Rubio! PG's rule the world these days and he could be one of the best.

Get Amar'e! I like our perimeter game; let's get some muscle.

It's all in the terms... who do we have to give up?

PASS THE *$#&*1N9 BALL!

PASS THE *$#&*1N9 BALL!

Should the W's Consider Trading Randolph?

Should the Warriors Consider Trading Anthony Randolph?

Yes, at this point we should do whatever it takes to try and get back on track.

Yes, if we can unload a bad contract and get equal value.

No, give him some time to develop; this season's a wrap.

No. If the W's trade AR I'm giving up on this team.

Should we renew Mullin and/or Nelson?

Should the Warriors renew Mullin and/or Nelson?

Yes, renew them both ASAP.

Renew Mullin, not Nellie.

Renew Nellie, not Mullin.

No rush, let's check back at mid-season.

No to both, time for a change in leadership.

Warriors Sign Andris Biedrins

Warriors Sign Anthony Morrow

Vegas Summer League: Game 1 Thoughts

Trade for Krstic and M.Williams?

PASS THE $#&1N9 BALL!

PASS THE $#&1N9 BALL!