McCovey Chronicles has been doing Community Projects for the past few seasons, mainly involving the organizational prospects. I'd like to introduce it to here with every draft from now on. I have compiled a list of the 30 top prospects from Draft Express and we can add to it as we see fit further along the road. March Madness has just started and many of the domestic prospects will be on display. I will list the important dates of the Dance and of the Draft, followed by the current bracket, and draft list.  Any member can pick up up to 2 prospects and make your own draft post on them, from what you've read and heard as well as your own observations.

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As the Warriors enter "tank" mode, Warrior Nation and GSoM in particular are at odds on how we should think. Is it bleak or is there light? Most fans, in my opinion, have a good mix of optimism and pessimism, but at this moment, most are leaning to the latter. Member FromtheBaytoBaystate has a recommended fanpost where he asks this question:

Did anybody, within their heart of Warriors hearts, really expect us to do anything this year?

The answer is in this screenshot, taken from Atma Bro's Pre-Season Preview:

52% of GSoM, 928 of 1780 polled, believed we were indeed making the post-season.The expectations for the players, the front office, and the team in general were pretty high before the season started and is a factor, albeit not the biggest factor, in why Warrior fans are up in arms. Here are some tidbits from the thread (These are not shots at AB1, btw):

David Lee

The Warriors had essentially no chips this summer, but they walked away with a 20-12-3.5 All-Star big man. You do the math.

Genius.

Give Larry Riley (and whoever else made it happen) props. In 1 year as the GM of the Warriors he did something his 2 predecessors couldn't do in (mostly painful) multi-year stints: add a legit power forward to this team.

Warriors fans are going to like a lot about Lee. A LOT.

Was he worth or not worth it? David Lee was dubbed as a probable hero, a key piece and catalyst to his new team. The key point, was that he was going to help us on the glass and make us more efficient, offensively. What be brought to the table in little over half the season is still up for debate, what he didn't bring us however, was defense. At this point, Udoh seems like a good compliment to Lee, offsetting Lee's defensive woes with his stalwart D:

Epke Udoh

Truth be told when the David Stern was saying "With the 6th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft the Golden State Warriors select..." I was hoping to hear "GREG MONROE FROM GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY!" That didn't happen. Hopefully I'm wrong about this one.

I think most of GSoM wanted Greg Monroe at the time. I wouldn't have minded Ed Davis either, of course though I'm a UNC homer. Udoh has brought to the table what was removed in the Lee trade, shotblockers in AR and Ronny, but with better low-post defense. He has struggled on the boards and on offense though, a reason why many think a Lee and Udoh duo would be perfect together.

As stated above, many thought the acquisition of Lee would help our rebounding significantly as stated by this AB1 prediction on our strengths:

Rebounding

Yes, you read that right. The Warriors are set to be a very nice Windex team. David Lee and Andris Biedrins are elite rebounders, Louis Amundson is solid, and Stephen Curry opened some eyes with his nice work on the boards last season. Who knows maybe even Monta can get back to his earlier rebounding rates. Even if he doesn't, the Warriors project to be at their best level in this department in years- decades perhaps. 

As it stands here is how it looks:

Rebounding Differential

09-10: -9.7. Ranked 30th.

10-11: -4.2. Ranked 30th.

Offensive Rebound %

09-10: .209 (League Average .263). Ranked 30th.

10-11: .273 (League Average .263). Ranked 8th.

Defensive Rebound %

09-10: .685 (League Average .737). Ranked 30th.

10-11:  .687 (League Average .737) Ranked 30th.

We had a 5.5 jump in rebounding differential. A fairly significant jump, however, we're still last in the league in differential. The 5.5 jump is due to Offensive boards, a .064 point percentage and 22 rank jump. Our defensive rebounding stayed stagnant though, not a great sign. Mr. DW is our 3rd best rebounding and he and Lee along with the rest of the team have improved our rebounding, but there is still much work to be done.

Other points were a Pick and Roll improvement, which sadly seems to have been non-existent, Defense, which seemed like many didn't see an improvement, and of course Coaching which many seemed very optimistic on Mr. Smart. This lead to the prediction of Atma, which seems like we may not even hit:

 

Overall record

Unless there's some major trades and talent upgrades minus Nellie we're looking at:

34-48

Meaning, no playoffs Don't get me wrong though. This will be a fun and interesting season. Isn't it always?

 

Him and Matt Steinmetz made similar predictions, both took some heat for it. I was in a similar boat, along with roughly 48% of GSoM.

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Beans has been taking a lot of heat this season, I'm one of those who is not in favor of him right now. However, one is to wonder; How much of our front court problems are because of Beans alone? In my opinion, it's a team problem.

Primary reasons are:

• Rotations
• Injuries
• Minor Regressions

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The 2009 Warriors, wait, the Golden State Warriors in general are the enigma of the league. Once again it seems as if we will not have any representative in the all star game, Monta Ellis can’t get votes, Curry can’t keep up with the other Rookie Points, and AR is not getting the PT to show off his skills. Ammo may get into the 3-Pt Competition, but who knows? Oakland in general, especially now-a-days, is not renown for their current sport franchises. We got Al Davis driving the Raiders into the abyss, Billy Beane with his Moneyball mantra, and of course the dudes across from McAfee and Al, the Warriors.

We have problems in every single aspect of the franchise. We have incompetent owners, a coaching staff that utilizes an unproven "art", and a roster full of holes and injuries.  /EndBlockOfText and now to get to the good stuff.

Simple Question; How do we get better? How do we get back to the playoffs, much more so win a championship?

Simple Answer; We need to go back to the fundamentals and play defense and rebound the freaking ball.

Brief History Lessons:

-The last time our Warriors made it to the WCF and actually win a championship was almost 3 decades ago, under Al Attles. This team contained Hall of Famer, Granny Free-Thrower, and defensive rock Rick Barry and 2 other great key defenders in Jamaal Wilkes and Phil Smith. We were one of the best defensive teams in that decade and this was our best defensive team in Warrior History

-The Champions of the last decade all had one of two things; Great Defense or Great Rebounding. If you throw away offense here is how it breaks down:

2009 Champs LAL: Best Rebounding Team, Opponents PPG under league average

2008 Champs BOS: Second Best Opponent PPG, Rebound Differential is 2nd Best in League

2007 Champs SAS: Best Opponents PPG, 4th Best Defensive Rebounding Team

2006 Champs MIA: Best Rebounding Team, Opponents PPG under league average

2005 Champs SAS: Best Opponent PPG, Rebounding above league average

2004 Champs DET: Second Best Opponent PPG, Rebounding above league average

2003 Champs SAS: Third Best Opponent PPG, 6th Best Defensive Rebounding Team

2002 Champs LAL: Third Best Rebounding Team, Opponents PPG under league average

2001 Champs LAL: Fifth Best Rebounding Team, Opponents PPG ABOVE league average

2000 Champs LAL: Best Rebounding Team, 6th Best Opponents PPG

Conclusion: With the exception of the 2001 LAL, all these championship teams were one of the best defensive or rebounding teams in the league and the other key stat was above league average or better.

So EJ? What does all this mean? How can we salvage this ship and return her to glory? This quote sums it up:

"Offense sells tickets; Defense wins championships".

Don Nelson and Co. does not teach Defense or play with traditional lineups. Our roster is not filled with ideal defensive players and our bigs are injured. That leaves it up to Chris Cohan, Robert Rowell, and fate. And fate we must wait.

Don Nelson is one of 3 subjects going on in this Warrior wildfire. He, as head coach, is and should take blame for what appears to be an abysmal start. Him along with Jackson's controversy and the not so great return of Monta is taking the Warriors and its fans through a torrential storm. Taken from TK's blog, he believes that 1 or 2 more events will lead to the firing of Nelson, which at this point seems like a huge possiblity, especially after Cohan and company saw a West contender, the Hornets, fire Byron Scott. If Don Nelson were to leave today, TK compiled a list of who may be avaialble immediately or after the season:

TK: Van Gundy, Thibodeau, Mark Jackson, Jeff Bzdelik… Just a list. Means nothing. My list.

—LIST OF HEAD-COACHING CANDIDATES/

-Jeff Van Gundy, former Houston and NY Knicks coach, current TV analyst;

-Jeff Bzdelik, former Denver Nuggets coach, currently at Colorado;

-Tom Thibodeau, Boston Celtics assistant, defensive specialist;

-Avery Johnson, former Dallas coach, current TV analyst;

-Jim Boylen, former long-time NBA assistant, currently at University of Utah.

-Brian Shaw, assistant with Lakers, Oakland native;

-Mike Budenholzer, long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant;

-Keith Smart, Warriors’ No. 1 assistant;

-Mark Jackson, long-time NBA player, currently TV analyst;

-Maurice Cheeks, former Portland and Philadelphia coach, currently assistant in Oklahoma City;

-Doug Collins, former coach for multiple teams, currently TV analyst;

-Dwane Casey, former Minnesota coach, currently assistant in Dallas;

-Byron Scott, former NJ coach, just fired as New Orleans coach;

-Paul Silas, former Charlotte Hornets coach;

-Bill Laimbeer, long-time former player, WNBA coach, currently assistant in Minnesota;

-Mario Elie, long-time former player, former Warriors assistant, currently assistant in Sacramento in Dallas;

-Sam Cassel, long-time former player, currently assistant in Washington.

The real question is:

Would we be better off removing the coach who taught a very different scheme to our players and moving to a slower paced, half-court style be beneficial opposed to keeping Nelson?

If we were to cut Nelson before Midseason, we'd have to promote Keith Smart to Head Coach. Changing offensive and *cough* defensive philosophies in the middle of the season would be a drastic change and would not fit well with a team designed for a very high uptempo team.

But after the season ends or if we decide to go somewhere other than Smart, who would it be? Would JVG or Avery even consider coming back? Or do we have to look for a coach without full Head Coach experience?

Realistically, we're looking at Nelson or Smart being the coaches for the meantime. And aside from obvious choices in JVG, Avery, Laimbeer, Cheeks, and even Scott we may have to look at the assistant coach market. But if it is time, I hope we go for:

(1) Thibodeau - Defense, Defense, Defense. Maybe he can teach these kids how to rebound too. He has a very impressive resume dating back to the then Expansion team T'Wolves as an assistant coach, time under Lucas in the early 90's, later joined JVG in the late 90's, and finally bolstered the Celtic defense to help em win a championship. Tom might jump at an opportunity at a head coach position and if does I hope we shoot for him. 

(2) Shaw - So what, he has Laker cooties, so did Ronny. Brian Shaw is a champion. Gold Medalist and Rings as a player and coach. If this guy knows anything, its winning, plain and simple. Four Years under the Zen Master who with Red are the best two coaches in NBA History isn't that bad either. Luring Shaw away from a Pacific rival could perhaps help us find a way to beat LA, similar to what Nelly did to Dallas. Far fetched? Not really, Shaw is an OAKLAND native, back when we hosted the All-Star game, the city gave him, Kidd, and Payton keys to the City. Downside to this? A philosophy change from Small Ball to what will be an ill-equipped triangle may be difficult for the team to learn.

Personally, I hate small ball. Sacrifices Defense and Rebounding for more Offensive production and excitement for the fans. I would love any of the guys I mentioned, but pleaseeee I want to see some good ole Defense and Rebounding.

Once again its up to the Front Office.

I get that GSoM is a "Family Show", but this is the only 'Family' oriented blog on SB Nation that I've been in especially when compared to McCovey Chronicles, Niner Nation, and Silver and Black Pride. However, the Terms of Service officially say under Point 9 in the Privacy Policy section that:

The Sites are not intended for and may not be used by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13 and we do not target the Sites to children under the age of 13.

Those under the age of 13, therefore, are violating the ToS and Privacy Policy of SB Nation and first of all shouldn't be affiliated with any SB Blog. It is inevitable that a sports fan, specifically in a high paced game of basketball, will drop a cuss word here or there in what appears to be a site filled with raging opinions, fandome, and testosterone. You can't expect a Saint of a fan, especially one's who specifically look for a home place to talk their teams. It's not like those 13 and above never hear these words in school, work, or in the public. Also, not to point it out directly, but there are specific rules against Copyright stuff, which is never enforced here.

I don't want this discussion to get out of hand so those who want to voice their opinions, please be civil. But to the staff of GSoM all I ask for is more leniency or for clarification on this issue.

Hey guys, Greetings from GSoM. We are both within the divison, so making a trade may be difficult even though both teams are irrevelant. You guys are loaded with bigs and we got alot of young talent in the 1-3 positions. I'd love to get DeAndre from you guys or even Z-Bo if we can dump one of our long contracts (C-Mag, Jackson). Then there's also the Baron back to the bay dealio (Which I'm not a fan of). But what deals can we make for DeAndre? What deals do you guys like with us?

Thanks for your time!

2009 NBA Draft:

June 25, 2009

ESPN

4 p.m.-9 p.m. PST

Current Draft Order:

1. Los Angeles Clippers
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Washington Wizards
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. New Jersey Nets
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Phoenix Suns

Our Projected Pre-Off-Season 2010 Depth Chart:

PG: Monta Ellis, Jamal Crawford, CJ Watson

SG: Stephen Jakson, Anthony Morrow, Marco Belinelli

SF: Kelenna Azubuike, Corey Maggette 

PF: Anthony Randolph, Brandan Wright

C: Andris Biedrins, Ronny Turiaf

Why the Warriors should draft a PG:

If there's a position we are thin at it will be at the PG position. We are lacking playmaking PG's while we are stocked well in scoring PG's.

Our PG's: Ellis, Morrow, Watson, Crawford

Why the Warriors should draft a SG or SF:

Personnel wise we are OK at both positions, especially at the 3. When it comes to true SG's. We have none other than Marco. Drafting a SG is certainly an option.

Our 2's: Ellis, Morrow, Crawford, Belinelli, Jackson, Azubuike

Our 3's: Jackson, Maggette, Azubuike, Randolph [Possible]

Why the Warriors should draft a PF:

Power Forward is a position we have great talent and potential at with Randolph and Wright. Depth over a future starter would be the ideal reason to draft a 4, but there are other needs.

Our 4's: Randolph, Kurz, Davidson, Wright, Turiaf, (All 3's if we play small)

Why the Warriors should draft a C:

The Warriors should draft a Center, but not as a starter, but a backup. This years draft is incredibly weak at the Center spot with only 2 1st round talents in Thabeet and Mullens. You do not draft a backup at #7, but once again if we go BPA and Thabeet is available at our slot not at #1 then he may be the pick.

Our 5's: Biedrins, Turiaf, Randolph, (All 4's if we play small)

Why the Warriors should Trade The Pick:

The Warriors should trade down if at our slot there is no perfect candidate to pick with (Mainly a non-top 3 pick). A trade down to the mid-later 1st would give us many specialists to pick and some pre-season high rated prospects such as Mullens, Teague, Aminu, Lawson, Collison. We can also trade for current NBA players who management target.

Draft Tek's Big Board

(Updated May 17th)

ESPN's Big Board

RK	Player		AGE	POS	HT	WT	SCHOOL/COUNtrY	PROJECTION
1		Blake Griffin	20	PF	6-10	248	Oklahoma	Top 5
		May 13 update Griffin looks like the closest thing to Superman the NBA has ... more
2		Ricky Rubio	18	PG	6-4	180	Spain	Top 5
		May 25 Update: Will he sign with the team that drafts him? To terminate ... more
3		Hasheem Thabeet	22	C	7-3	267	Connecticut	Top 5
		May 14 Update: Thabeet is one of the most polarizing players in the draft. ... more
4		James Harden	19	SG	6-5	222	Arizona State	Top 10
		May 15 Update:We've had Harden ranked in the Top 5 of our Top 100 ... more
5		Jordan Hill	21	PF	6-10	232	Arizona	Top 10
		May 21 update: Among the most improbable storylines of the NBA draft has been ... more
6		Stephen Curry	21	PG	6-3	181	Davidson	Lottery
		Apr 23 Update: It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Curry has decided ... more
7		Tyreke Evans	19	SG	6-5	220	Memphis	Lottery
		Apr 20 Update: Evans has made the argument over the last two weeks of ... more
8		Jrue Holiday	18	PG	6-4	199	UCLA	Lottery
		May 18 update: In a draft without many players with big upside, Holiday has ... more
9		Jonny Flynn	20	PG	6-1	196	Syracuse	Lottery
		May 25 update: Over the past few weeks, a number of GMs seem ... more
10		DeMar DeRozan	19	SG	6-6	211	USC	Lottery
		Apr 8 Update: DeRozan is riding a terrific March back into the lottery. He ... more
11		DeJuan Blair	20	PF	6-7	277	Pittsburgh	Lottery to mid first round
		May 18 Update The problem for Blair is in the definition of "big man." ... more
12		Brandon Jennings	19	PG	6-2	165	Italy	Lottery to mid first round
		May 28 Update: Jennings is all over the map for NBA teams, and seeing ... more
13		Jeff Teague	20	PG	6-2	175	Wake Forest	Lottery to mid first round
		Apr 8 Update: Teague got off to a terrific start this year and a ... more
14		Austin Daye	20	SF	6-11	192	Gonzaga	Lottery to mid first round
		May 14 Update: Daye has had one of the biggest swings of any player ... more
15		Earl Clark	21	SF	6-10	226	Louisville	Lottery to mid first round
		May 18 Update: The question about Clark always has been about heart. Does he ... more
16		Eric Maynor	21	PG	6-3	164	VA Commonwealth	Lottery to mid first round
		Mar 23 Update: Maynor is another guy who came up big in a losing ... more
17		James Johnson	22	PF	6-8	257	Wake Forest	Lottery to mid first round
		April 4 Update: Johnson is a very intriguing prospect. He's a great athlete, has ... more
18		Gerald Henderson	21	SG	6-5	215	Duke	Lottery to mid first round
		April 25 Update: After two pretty non descript years at Duke, Henderson blew up ... more
19		Tyler Hansbrough	23	PF	6-10	234	North Carolina	Mid to late first round
		May 15 Update: Word out of North Carolina, where he's working out, is that ... more
20		B. J. Mullens	20	C	7-1	258	Ohio State	Mid to late first round
		Mar 26 Update: Mullens was projected as a Top 5 pick at the start ... more

EJ's Draft Board with Personal Scouting reports:

1. Blake Griffin

2. Ricky Rubio

3. Hasheem Thabeet

4. James Harden

5. Jordan Hill

6. Brandon Jennings

7, DeMar Derozan

8. Tyreke Evans

9. Johnny Flynn

10. Jrue Holiday

Demar DeRozan

Demar is another Pac-10 prospect and could've been a favorite among SC fans if he did not declare. Was a highly regarded SG/SF prospect coming out of High School. Two words to describe Demar: Offensive Powerhouse. Demar is an excellent offensive option from 17 feet to the hoop. His mid range game is the best in the class, he's a highly effective slasher and gets to the hoop well with fluidity and grace, and he's deadly in transition. His freakish athleticism and  long wingspan should make him a good defender, but his footwork needs some tweaking. Demar is in my opinion a 'project' prospect, very high ceiling and great tools, but inconsistency, a less than stellar 3-Point range, inability to create for teammates, and below average ball handling may make him bust. Drafting DeMar would give us a legit SG and could possibly free up Monta for a trade.

Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans was another highly touted HS prospect. Was ranked in top 5 by most major scouting agencies and major sports networks. Tyreke is a score first PG, but may has the ability to play SG in the NBA. Tyreke has excellent size at 6'6" and a Wingspan of 7'3". He has great range and has the ability to hit from downtown, is excellent in transition, and finishes very well at the hole. Him and Jennings are probably the most exciting players in this draft.  He's able to defend both guard positions which was seen alot with the Tigers and is apt in grabbing steals. Tyreke has all the tools to be an offensive juggernaut, but he has to cut his turnovers down (Worst in this years Draft class), needs to work on his lackluster PG skillset, needs to be more disciplined on the court (He's spontaneuous), and has off court issues.

Johnny Flynn

The former Orange star has risen up draft boards with fellow PG prospect Holiday within the last weeks. He was the 4th best PG in the High School class of 07 according to both Rivals and Scout scouting sites. He is very similar to size to Ty Lawson, but Flynn outhsines Lawson in athleticism. Flynn's college campaign ended with a spectacular Sweet 16 run, Syracuse's first sicne 04, in which they beat Harden's best Pac-10 team, the Sun Devils, before gettign eliminated by Griffin's Sooners. Johnny's strenths are in his excellent athelticism and speed when combined with his leadership, court vision, and driving ability he is the perfect playmaker designed for an uptempo team like the Warriors. However, like Lawson he is undersized. He also needs to work on his outside jumper, his occasional erattic playstyle, his defense, and watch his turnovers.

Blake Griffin

Blake is the unofficial #1 prospect in this draft. He's likely to go #1 and will not go past #2 in any situation. Blake is a big and mobile PF who loves to do the dirty work down low and was the most efficient player in the NCAA. The former Sooner has an NBA Ready body that will get you rebounds, will get you points in the paint, and will get his hands dirty on Defense. A great character and teammate, high work ethic, to add to his freakish athleticism for his size. Handles the ball well and passes well for a big man. However, he is not a perfect specimen; he still has not developed a good mid range game (Can't hit well beyond 13-14 feet), is only a 60% FT shooter, Defensive technique is inadequate, has had knee injuries, and is turnover prone.

James Harden

James Harden was the best player in the Pac 10 this year. Was highly efficient on both sides of the ball. Offensively he's able to get to the rim with relative ease and his body control is outstanding, he's able to twist his body which make him an excellent slasher and a perfect guy to have on the fast break. He's a SG who has great court vision, great passing ability, high basketball IQ, and is not erratic with his shot selection. Defensively, he is one of the best, he can guard well Man to Man, is strout, is active on terrorizing passing lanes, and looks as if he actually wants to play D. He has decent range (Can hit downtown as well), but has an inconsistent jumper. He also has average, or maybe less than average, agility and athelticisim. He's also very turnover prone and his handling skills are questionable.

Jordan Hill

Jordan Hill is likely to be the second PF taken off the board. Jordan is another athletic big with an ideal NBA body. The former Wildcat contested well for top Pac-10 player, but I have Harden narrowly beating him out. Jordan, a Junior, has showed great improvement since his Freshman year. He has developed a very solid mid range game, is working on post moves, is a stout shot blocker, is quick and mobile for his size, and is an excellent rebounder. However, he has not developed advanced post moves yet, is old for the draft class, is still inexperienced (Only started playing in High School), is a 65% FT shooter, and still needs to make smarter decisions and work on fundamentals (FT Shooting, Passing, Footwork).

Jrue Holiday

Like Flynn, Holiday has shot up many draft boards including mine. Jrue was ranked the best PG in the HS class of 08 and 2nd overall for Rivals while ranked the best SG and ranked 2nd overall for Scout Inc. A GSoM favorite, the former Bruin although recruited as a combo guard has told scouts and GM's that "I'm a Floor General." His willingness to focus on the PG spot is very encouraging to teams as his ceiling is one of the highest in the draft, another Boom or Bust pick. Blessed with a huge wingspan, 2nd longest amongst Lottery PG's, he will cause matchup problems for the opposing defense as well as have the ability to guard multiple positions on defense, which he already excels at. He has great PG skills in his vision and passing, is extremely smart, and is unselfish. However, his less than stellar College campaign has strayed away people. He also is average when it comes to athleticism, his jumper, and his 3point shot.

Brandon Jennings

Brandon Jennings was the #1 prospect coming out of HS according to Scout Inc and ESPN and the 4th best accourding to rivals last year and became a High School to EuroLeague Trailblazer. A true PG who is amazingly fast, athletic, and flashy. Dangerous off the dribble and in transition, a terror in the press,  and wonderful in stealing the ball (Ranked #1: 5.1 Steals/40 Minutes). He gets to the hole with relative ease while being able to create for himself and for others which makes him a nautral playmaker. Another boom or bust pick, one who screams allstar and another which can yell bust. Skeptics ask; Did the decision cost him? Although he has matured significantly and played in the second best league he is still turnover prone, is undersized and skinny, is an average jumpshooter, and is a lackluster rebounder.

Ty Lawson

Former Tar Heel and Champion, Ty Lawson, is one of 3 excellent true PG's in this years class. As shown in his fantastic big dance performence he is the fastest person in this draft, is a terror on the open court, is phenomonal in the press and in stealing the ball, and is great in creating oppurtunities for others. His PG skillset is excellent in terms of his passing ability, court vision, and ability to draw defenders to himself via his speed which allows him to make easy passes. He has a solid jumpshot with 3-Point range, takes care of the ball very well, and terrific at getting to the hole. Although, he has good bulk for his size, frankly, he is short. He's under 6 foot (5'11") which will give him a hard time offensively against taller defenders. Although a Junior he is still inexpereinced and needs to inspire his teammates in ways other than on the court.

Ricky Rubio

Pistol Pete, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd. These are the comparisons that he is being drawn to and may be rightfully so. Best PG skillset in this draft as well as one of the youngest. Ricky is a wonderful passer, has eagle eye court vision,  a great knowledge of the game, has faced many tough opponents, and is a tenacious defender. He is excellent in transition and Ricky has the best Assist/40 Minutes in this draft class, which sits at 10.8/40 Minutes and that's saying something in the Slower paced Euroleague. He's a wild defender, think Sasha Vujacic, and like the other 2 excellent PG's is great in the press and at stealing the ball. He also has the best size of the 3 standing tall at 6'3". He does have weakness though; he's coming off an inury to his wrist, is less than average with his jumper, and is highly turnover prone (2.8/2.4 Ratio in the Euroleague and 2.6/3.0 in the lesser Spanish league). He's also young and inexperienced and has the tendency to be too flashy at times.

Hasheem Thabeet

Hasheem "The Dream" Thabeet was probably my second favorite prospect coming in this year. Hasheem has good athleticism for his size and position and is one of the most mobile Centers I have seen in a long time. His big body also allows him to grab rebounds. Hasheem is a marvelous shotblocker and uses his excellent 7'3" height to help him in doing so. His shotblocking and Defense has drawn comparisons to Mt. Mutombo. He's also shown vast amounts of improvement since joining the Huskie basketball program. As gifted as he is Defensively, it's hard to say that about his offense. He still has not developed much post moves outside of his baby hook and really needs to work on his offensive repertoire. He also needs to work on handling the ball better. He's inexperienced as he's only been playing several years. Lastly, he seems to fade in big games and has been outshined by DeJuan Blair of Pitt.

EJ's Mock Draft

Pick #1 - Clippers: Blake Griffin

Unanimous #1 goes to the lottery Winner, the Clippers.

Alt. Pick: Rubio, Trade the Pick

Notes: Expect Z-Bo, Camby, or Kaman to get traded. Baron Davis is also a candidate to go.

Pick #2 - Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet

Rubio's diva attitude seems to be driving away Memphis, but Thabeet would be an excellent pick, he gives the Grizzlies an excellent front court which will enable Marc to slide to PF. Thabeet, Gasol, and Gay would be a solid 345.

Alt. Pick: Trade Down, Rubio

Notes: A trade down to Sacramento would be ideal as the Kings are searching for a new PG. If Thunder are really interested in Rubio, they are an option as well.

Pick #3 - Thunder: Ricky Rubio

The Thunder need a big man and the Grizzlies have drafted Thabeet. This leaves em with the oppurtunity to pick the best player avaialble and that's Ricky. Ricky would be foolish to pass up an oppurtunity to play for a very talented and young squad. This will move Westbrook to the 2 positon and would give the Thunder a nice 1-2-3.

Alt. Pick: Hasheem Thabeet, Jordan Hill, Trade Up/Down, James Harden

Notes: Thunder are also in a position to trade up for Thabeet or Rubio or Trade down with Sacramento if Rubio is available.

Pick #4- Kings: Jrue Holiday

Kings are begging for a PG. With Rubio off the board, they go for the high draft riser in Jrue. He provides better Defense then Rubio, but the playmaking still needs to be seen.

Alt. Pick: Ricky Rubio, Trade Up, Brandon Jennings, Jordan Hill

Notes: The Kings really want Rubio, they can easily trade up to positons 2 or 3 if Rubio is there. Also, look for a possible move of Beno.

Pick #5- Wizards: Jordan Hill

Wizards are looking for in my opinion the BPA. They can draft an heir at the 1, find a true 2, get 3 depth, get a brusing 4 or 5. And it looks like they'll solidify their frontline with Hill. Hill will give them a versatile frontline and some help for the screaming Butler.

Alt. Pick: James Harden, Trade Down

Notes: Also look to see if they will trade a big especially if they draft Hill.

Pick #6- Timberwolves: James Harden

Unlike the earlier 5, with the exception of Sacramento, the T'Wolves have an excellent frontcourt. Look for the T-Wolves to draft a Wing. And they've lucked out, James Harden has fallen out of the top 5 and they get what in my opinion is one of the safest picks in the draft.

Alt Pick: DeMar DeRozan, Tyreke Evans, Trade Up, Jrue Holiday, Brandon Jennings

Notes: If they feel so, they may give up on Telfair and try their stab at one of the Combo Guards in Evans and Holiday and see if they can win the job from him, if not they can play the 2. A Jennings would autoamtically mean they want competition. Look for them to trade up as well, their 3 1st rounders are gold.

Pick #7- Warriors: Brandon Jennings

The Warriors will be looking for PG help and they have alot to choose from. Jennings [and Flynn] would be ideal for this offense. Warriors are not sold on any one person yet so this will fluctuate within the next few weeks.

Alt. Pick: Jrue Holiday, Johnny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, DeMar Derozan, Ty Lawson, Jordan Hill, Trade Up

Notes: Look for the Warriors to dangle Ellis and/or Biedrins especially if they draft Jennings or DeRozen.

Pick #8- Knicks: Stephen Curry

The Knick fans and D'Antoni will be ecstatic to have Curry. They get a great shooter with adequate PG skills, perfect for D'Antoni's Offense.

Pick #9- Raptors: DeMar Derozan

The Raptors are lacking a real 3. And DeRozan has the potential to be one of the best 3's to come out of this draft. Will be a flashy player that will draw the crowd in.

Pick #10- Bucks: Johnny Flynn

They are rumored to be looking for a PG and it may be Flynn.

We would throw in Brandan Wright and/or Marco Belinelli for filler. You would get a solid offensive weapon at the 1 and 2 position who is locked up long term, as well as a solid shooting prospect and/or a good post product. Also would Josh Smith be available? What deals can we do with the Hawks and what can you guys do with the Warriors?

Thanks and Greetings from Golden State of Mind/GSoM!

2009 NBA Draft:

June 25, 2009

ESPN

4 p.m.-9 p.m. PST

Current Draft Order:

1. Los Angeles Clippers
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Washington Wizards
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. New Jersey Nets
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Phoenix Suns

NCAA Players who have declared:

International Players who have declared:

Our Projected Pre-Off-Season 2010 Starting Lineup:

PG: None (Crawford/Watson)

SG: Monta Ellis

SF: Stephen Jackson

PF: Anthony Randolph

C: Andris Biedrins

6th Man: Corey Maggette

Why the Warriors should draft a PG:

If there's a position we are thin at it will be at the PG position. We are lacking Pass First or Court Vision while we have a more than adequate amount of scoring PG's.

Our PG's: Ellis, Morrow, Watson, Crawford

Why the Warriors should draft a SG or SF:

My personal opinion is that we are OK at these positions especially at the 2, but we need a 2 or 3 who can defend man to man and possibly shoot the long ball. We can also go 2 or 3 if management's draft strategy is to go BPA (Best Player Available).

Our 2's: Ellis, Morrow, Crawford, Belinelli, Jackson, Maggette, Azubuike

Our 3's: Jackson, Maggette, Azubuike, Randolph [Possible]

Why the Warriors should draft a PF:

I also personally think we are fit in the future at PF, a combo of Wright and Randolph may set us for years IF we keep them. Regardless, if we win the lotto for the #1 we pick Griffin if we lose and go BPA we may pick another PF (Which I doubt).

Our 4's: Randolph, Kurz, Davidson, Wright, Turiaf, (All 3's if we play small)

Why the Warriors should draft a C:

The Warriors should draft a Center, but not as a starter, but a backup. This years draft is incredibly weak at the Center spot with only 2 1st round talents in Thabeet and Mullens. You do not draft a backup at #7, but once again if we go BPA and Thabeet is available at our slot not at #1 then he may be the pick.

Our 5's: Biedrins, Turiaf, Randolph, (All 4's if we play small)

Why the Warriors should Trade The Pick:

The Warriors should trade down if at our slot there is no perfect candidate to pick with (Mainly a non-top 3 pick). A trade down to the mid-later 1st would give us many specialists to pick and some pre-season high rated prospects such as Mullens, Teague, Aminu, Lawson, Collison. We can also trade for current NBA players who management target.

EJ's Draft Board with Personal Scouting reports:

Earl Clark

Earl Clark would give us a future long term prospect at the SF position and would allow AR to natural develop at the 4. Did very well under Pitino and was praised for his defense and rebounding. Earl has the ability to bang down low with other bigs and can hit from downtown as well. He's a very solid defender and loves to contest shots. Was originally a SG. Earl is highly inconsistent and is very turnover prone which will lead to inefficiency, there are also questions about his mental toughness and basketball IQ.

Demar DeRozan

Demar is another Pac-10 prospect and could've been a favorite among SC fans if he did not declare. Was a highly regarded SG/SF prospect coming out of High School. Two words to describe Demar: Offensive Powerhouse. Demar is an excellent offensive option from 17 feet to the hoop. His mid range game is solid, he's a highly effective slasher and gets to the hoop well with fluidity and grace, and he's deadly in transition. His freakish athleticism and  long wingspan should make him a good defender, but his footwork needs some tweaking. Demar is in my opinion a 'project' prospect, very high ceiling and great tools, but inconsistency, a less than stellar 3-Point range, inability to create for teammates, and below average ball handling may make him bust.

Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans was another highly touted HS prospect. Was ranked in top 5 by most major scouting agencies and major sports networks. Tyreke is a score first PG, but may has the ability to play SG in the NBA. Tyreke has excellent size at 6'6" and a Wingspan of 7'3". He has great range and has the ability to hit from downtown, is excellent in transition, and finishes very well at the hole. Him and Jennings are probably the most exciting players in this draft.  He's able to defend both guard positions which was seen alot with the Tigers and is apt in grabbing steals. Tyreke has all the tools to be an offensive juggernaut, but he has to cut his turnovers down (Worst in this years Draft class), needs to work on his lackluster PG skillset, needs to be more disciplined on the court (He's spontaneuous), and has off court issues.

Blake Griffin

Blake is the unofficial #1 prospect in this draft. He's likely to go #1 and will not go past #2 in any situation. Blake is a big and mobile PF who loves to do the dirty work down low and was the most efficient player in the NCAA. The former Sooner has an NBA Ready body that will get you rebounds, will get you points in the paint, and will get his hands dirty on Defense. A great character and teammate, high work ethic, to add to his freakish athleticism for his size. Handles the ball well and passes well for a big man. However, he is not a perfect specimen; he still has not developed a good mid range game (Can't hit well beyond 13-14 feet), is only a 60% FT shooter, Defensive technique is inadequate, has had knee injuries, and is turnover prone.

James Harden

James Harden was the best player in the Pac 10 this year. Was highly efficient on both sides of the ball. Offensively he's able to get to the rim with relative ease and his body control is outstanding, he's able to twist his body which make him an excellent slasher and a perfect guy to have on the fast break. He's a SG who has great court vision, great passing ability, high basketball IQ, and is not erratic with his shot selection. Defensively, he is one of the best, he can guard well Man to Man, is strout, is active on terrorizing passing lanes, and looks as if he actually wants to play D. He has decent range (Can hit downtown as well), but has an inconsistent jumper. He also has average, or maybe less than average, agility and athelticisim. He's also very turnover prone and his handling skills are questionable.

Jordan Hill

Jordan Hill is likely to be the second PF taken off the board. Jordan is another athletic big with an ideal NBA body. The former Wildcat contested well for top Pac-10 player, but I have Harden narrowly beating him out. Jordan, a Junior, has showed great improvement since his Freshman year. He has developed a very solid mid range game, is working on post moves, is a stout shot blocker, is quick and mobile for his size, and is an excellent rebounder. However, he has not developed advanced post moves yet, is old for the draft class, is still inexperienced (Only started playing in High School), is a 65% FT shooter, and still needs to make smarter decisions and work on fundamentals (FT Shooting, Passing, Footwork).

Brandon Jennings

Brandon Jennings was the #1 prospect coming out of HS last year and became a High School to EuroLeague Trailblazer. A true PG who is amazingly fast, athletic, and flashy. Dangerous off the dribble and in transition, a terror in the press,  and wonderful in stealing the ball (Ranked #1: 5.1 Steals/40 Minutes). He gets to the hole with relative ease while being able to create for himself and for others which makes him a nautral playmaker. Skeptics ask; Did the decision cost him? Although he has matured significantly and played in the second best league he is still turnover prone, is undersized and skinny, is an average jumpshooter, and is a lackluster rebounder,

Ty Lawson

Former Tar Heel and Champion, Ty Lawson, is one of 3 excellent true PG's in this years class. As shown in his fantastic big dance performence he is the fastest person in this draft, is a terror on the open court, is phenomonal in the press and in stealing the ball, and is great in creating oppurtunities for others. His PG skillset is excellent in terms of his passing ability, court vision, and ability to draw defenders to himself via his speed which allows him to make easy passes. He has a solid jumpshot with 3-Point range, takes care of the ball very well, and terrific at getting to the hole. Although, he has good bulk for his size, frankly, he is short. He's under 6 foot (5'11") which will give him a hard time offensively against taller defenders. Although a Junior he is still inexpereinced and needs to inspire his teammates in ways other than on the court.

Ricky Rubio

Pistol Pete, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd. These are the comparisons that he is being drawn to and may be rightfully so. Best PG skillset in this draft as well as one of the youngest. Ricky is a wonderful passer, has eagle eye court vision,  a great knowledge of the game, has faced many tough opponents, and is a tenacious defender. He is excellent in transition and Ricky has the best Assist/40 Minutes in this draft class, which sits at 10.8/40 Minutes and that's saying something in the Slower paced Euroleague. He's a wild defender, think Sasha Vujacic, and like the other 2 excellent PG's is great in the press and at stealing the ball. He also has the best size of the 3 standing tall at 6'3". He does have weakness though; he's coming off an inury to his wrist, is less than average with his jumper, and is highly turnover prone (2.8/2.4 Ratio in the Euroleague and 2.6/3.0 in the lesser Spanish league). He's also young and inexperienced and has the tendency to be too flashy at times.

Hasheem Thabeet

Hasheem "The Dream" Thabeet was probably my second favorite prospect coming in this year. Hasheem has good athleticism for his size and position and is one of the most mobile Centers I have seen in a long time. His big body also allows him to grab rebounds. Hasheem is a marvelous shotblocker and uses his excellent 7'3" height to help him in doing so. His shotblocking and Defense has drawn comparisons to Mt. Mutombo. He's also shown vast amounts of improvement since joining the Huskie basketball program. As gifted as he is Defensively, it's hard to say that about his offense. He still has not developed much post moves outside of his baby hook and really needs to work on his offensive repiortre. He also needs to work on handling the ball better. He's inexperienced as he's only been playing several years. Lastly, he seems to fade in big games and has been outshined by DeJuan Blair of Pitt.

Ok guys I think I'll be creating a Draft superthread to outline those who have declared, those will stay, what should we do, and list possible targets.

NBA Lottery Date:

May 19th, 2009

ESPN

Time: TBD [Program is 30 Minutes Long]

2009 NBA Draft:

June 25, 2009

ESPN

4 p.m.-9 p.m. PST

Final Lottery Standings and Chances to win #1 Pick.

1. Kings (16-64) -- 25 percent chance to win
2t. Wizards (19-61) -- 19.9 percent
2t.. Clippers (19-61) -- 15.6 percent
4. Thunder (22-58) -- 11.9 percent
5. Grizzlies (23-57) -- 8.8 percent
6. Timberwolves (24-56) -- 6.3 percent
7. Warriors (29-51) -- 4.3 percent
8. Knickerbockers (31-50) -- 2.8 percent
9. Raptors (31-49) -- 1.7 percent
10t. Nets/Bucks (33-47) -- 1.1 percent/.8 percent

Our Percentages at winning the #2 or the #3 pick with a 7th placed lottery finish:

2nd Pick: 4.9%

3rd Pick: 5.8%

Players who have declared:

(Name FormerTeam Grade/Birthdate Position Height Weight Agent?)

Our Projected Pre-Off-Season 2010 Starting Lineup:

PG: None (Crawford/Watson)

SG: Monta Ellis

SF: Stephen Jackson

PF: Anthony Randolph

C: Andris Biedrins

6th Man: Corey Maggette

Why the Warriors should draft a PG:

If there's a position we are thin at it will be at the PG position. We are lacking Pass First or Court Vision while we have a more than adequate amount of scoring PG's.

Our PG's: Ellis, Morrow, Watson, Crawford

Why the Warriors should draft a SG or SF:

My personal opinion is that we are OK at these positions especially at the 2, but we need a 2 or 3 who can defend man to man and possibly shoot the long ball. We can also go 2 or 3 if management's draft strategy is to go BPA (Best Player Available).

Our 2's: Ellis, Morrow, Crawford, Belinelli, Jackson, Maggette, Azubuike

Our 3's: Jackson, Maggette, Azubuike, Randolph [Possible]

Why the Warriors should draft a PF:

I also personally think we are fit in the future at PF, a combo of Wright and Randolph may set us for years IF we keep them. Regardless, if we win the lotto for the #1 we pick Griffin if we lose and go BPA we may pick another PF (Which I doubt).

Our 4's: Randolph, Kurz, Davidson, Wright, Turiaf, (All 3's if we play small)

Why the Warriors should draft a C:

The Warriors should draft a Center, but not as a starter, but a backup. This years draft is incredibly weak at the Center spot with only 2 1st round talents in Thabeet and Mullens. You do not draft a backup at #7, but once again if we go BPA and Thabeet is available at our slot not at #1 then he may be the pick.

Our 5's: Biedrins, Turiaf, Randolph, (All 4's if we play small)

Why the Warriors should Trade The Pick:

The Warriors should trade down if at our slot there is no perfect candidate to pick with (Mainly a non-top 3 pick). A trade down to the mid-later 1st would give us many specialists to pick and some pre-season high rated prospects such as Mullens, Teague, Aminu, Lawson, Collison. We can also trade for current NBA players who management target.

Thread will be updated periodically along with adding my current draft board and adding declarations as we go.

I am sick of all these Warrior fans complaining. I'm sick of the negativity. I am not at all sick of the Warrior team and organization itself, maybe a little upset but nothing else. Too many Warrior fans, especially GSoM'ers are riding:

It's extremely ridiculous calling the current squad and how they play disgusting or pathetic. The way I see it is that most Warrior fans set their sights too high, even with Baron's departure and Monta's injury, with many people claiming playoffs and even being high playoff seeds. Realistically, we did not look like a playoff team coming out of the off-season, yet we want them to be that. Realistically we looked like a 30-52 team. Tack on smaller injuries from Jackson, C-Mag, Wright, and Randolph and you have a recipe for a bad season. This season, in my opinion, was never meant to be a playoff season, its a rebuilding season, in which we MUST groom our youth. We are the youngest team in the league and they need our support, support from the fans and to me it's stupid to be labeling the squad as disgusting and pathetic. This team is alot better and has alot more potential than what we had post-TMC era and pre-We Believe era in which we won an average of 28 games in 12 seasons (332 total). I don't know if you guys were around through that stretch of bad basketball, but  I was still supporting the team through thick and thin, through the bad weather.  This young team needs support and losing the fan base will further impede what looks like a bright future, so do the right "fan" thing to do and support our young team.

Pacman vs Golden Boy

Who's going to win?

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Skills: Pacquiao evolved from a one-dimensional brawler into a very good boxer under the guidance of Freddie Roach. However, De La Hoya, even with his revolving-door approach to trainers over his career, has always been an extremely sound all-around boxer.
Edge: De La Hoya

Power: De La Hoya was once a devastating puncher but his power has diminished as he’s gone up in weight. Of course, he’s going down to 147 for the first time since 2001; he might have extra pop at welterweight. Pacquiao is not a one-punch KO artist but has always been powerful. However, at 147, he won’t be able to hurt De La Hoya.
Edge: De La Hoya

Speed: One thing Pacquiao’s opponents are often surprised by is his remarkable speed. Combine that with his tenacity and improving boxing ability and you get the best fighter in the world. De La Hoya has always been quick-handed; he’s just not as fast as Pacquiao, particularly at 35.
Edge: Pacquiao

Defense: Again, Pacquiao has improved significantly as a boxer. Still, he’s never been particularly difficult to hit. That can be attributed in good part to his aggressive fighting style. De La Hoya has always put a premium on safety, one reason he’s lasted so long in the sport. He knows how to avoid punches.
Edge: De La Hoya

Experience: Both fighters have been at the top of the sport for a generation of fighters, fighting in a combined 40 major world title fights (De La Hoya 29, Pacquiao 11). Nothing phases either one of them. De La Hoya gets a slight edge because he’s been a major player a bit longer.
Edge: De La Hoya

Chin: Neither fighter has been hurt many times. De La Hoya has been stung a few times by punches to his head but was never in serious danger. Only Bernard Hopkins has stopped him, with a body shot. Pacquiao was stopped twice early in his career but has taken some huge shots in his prime without a disastrous result.
Edge: De La Hoya

Conditioning: Freddie Roach, who has been around boxing for several decades, said he’s never seen a fighter train harder than Pacquiao. He could probably fight 20 rounds if he had to. De La Hoya has had periods in his career when he didn’t train as hard as he should have, which might explain his tendency to fade late in fights, but he seems to be extremely serious about this fight.
Edge: Pacquiao

Wear-and-tear: De La Hoya, 35, has never taken a beating but appears to have declined at least somewhat after 30 years of boxing. Pacquiao, 29, has been in many wars but seems to be as fresh as ever.
Edge: Pacquiao

Corner: Both trainers garner tremendous respect. Nacho Beristain has trained a number of champions from Mexico, making him a legend in his country. And Freddie Roach, too, has worked with many big-name champions. Clearly, he’s at the top of his game. Pacquiao gets the edge here because he’s worked long term with Roach; this is De La Hoya’s first fight with Beristain.
Edge: Pacquiao

Ok guys we all know this season is most likely going to be a down season, but I won't say it is a lost season. I want to say that the Golden State Warriors are only a few keys away from being a legitimate NBA franchise, a team that will not be on the fringe of a 8th seed or a 9th seed and missing the playoffs, but a team that will constantly be a mid to high playoff seed. I will start with what we are looking at with our current team:

-Youth

-Talent

-Versatility

-Depth *

-Rebounding *

-Coaching Stability (via Contract Extension) *

-Outside Shooting

-Slashers

-Blocked Shots

The * (Asterisk) denotes what we were lacking or not good with last season. With the trade for Jamal Crawford, it gives us amazing depth, especially in our back court. We are loaded with youth and bright stars all are brimming with potential and high ceilings. We lacked depth last year along with horrid rebounding, especially in desperate situations and now we have that. On a minor note Don Nelson has been extended and we are beasts in blocking the ball. We are an extremely versatile team in which we have a full spectrum of specialists which makes our depth mean more. What can we do to improve this, well here it is.

My 3 Main keys are:

1A. Better Offensive Flow- What I mean by offensive flow is by ball movement. This goes from making smarter decisions, finding the open man, passing the ball more, and lowering our turnover rate. As it stands we are around 20th in Assists and Assist to Turnover Ratio, this is down from 8th from last season.

1B. Another 'Big' Inside Presence- Our only legitimate post player is Andris Biedrins (Who is not that great in Man to Man defense). We have Ronny Turiaf who is more suited to a defensive post role rather than a offensive or both role. We also have Wright, but at this point we do not know what role he has and we have not seen enough of him yet. Randolph is more of a 3 or 4, but his ceiling is very high so it'll take awhile to see what he will be. We need a big that can run and be an adaquete or better inside prescence (Offense, Defense, Man to Man).

3. Organizational Stability- I can not stress how much stability in an organization is important. Two big and prime examples are my Oakland Raiders and the New York Knicks. For the Raiders the coaching is not "set" and the owner seems to be dilusional, while the Knicks just recently had coaching troubles and had alot of negativity going around the organization. Luckily our coaching is set, sadly enough our Front Office (ie Rowell and Mullin) is not on still waters.

Minor Keys:

Man to Man Defenders- I really can't stress how valuable Defense is. The Warriors are not know to be a good defensive team. I would say our best M2M defenders are Azubuike and Turiaf. Having another player (Role Player or Starter) who can play well Man to Man such as a Bowen, Posey, or Artest. This key is minor as of now, because there are only a few avaialble defenders. Our only luck would be via the draft or Free Agency.

Experience- This is pretty much self explanitory, the more we get our young players on teh court, the more experience they will have for the future.

Scouting- Another key factor in the health of any organization. The draft can easily make or break your team as well as Free Agency. Scouting other teams as well, to see what not to do and what to capitalize on is another reason why scouting is essential.

Organizational Stability, Experience, and better scouting will hopefully come along as time goes on. It's a waiting game especially for Key #3, organizational stability. On the other hand we have the player personnel keys (1A, 1B, M2MD). These keys will need to be directly addressed through the draft, through another trade, or through Free Agency. Draft wise there is Hasheem Thabeet, Blake Griffin, and Gani Lawal who can serve as a post threat while Ricky Rubio, Daren Collison, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings,Rodrigue Beaubois, and Malcom Lee who can help us with a better offensive flow. There are also some good 2009 Free Agents. We have to wait for players to declare for the draft and have to see who re-signs before Free Agency happens.