Nary a front office in recent Warrior history had the favorable assets that new GM Bob Myers possesses this upcoming off-season. Fans and management alike find themselves barely dodging a bullet of barren misgivings.

Here are some scenarios that I could imagine the Warriors doing, and why they would do so:

Scenario #1

- Bringing back Ekpe Udoh

The departure of Monta Ellis not only marked the farewell of an exciting guard, but also the defensive wiz and steadily improving, Ekpe Udoh. Udoh appeared to be responding under the tutelage of Mark Jackson and Malone, suddenly finding his mark from mid-range, and patiently capitalizing more regularly on the block.

With Andrew Bogut (led league in blocks) and Udoh (1.7 Bpg) inserted on the court together, the Warriors would lock up the defensive interior very well. Not only would it be hard for teams to score in the paint, but it would also allow the coaching staff to experiment with an undersized Curry at the two spot much more comfortably.

~ Plan of acquisition

The Warriors could offer Milwaukee the no. 7 pick for Udoh straight up. This would give the Bucks two picks in the lottery (12, 7) and would solve the Warriors problem at back up power forward.

Is Udoh worth the 7th overall pick in this lottery?

Between he, Harrison Barnes, Sullinger, and Kendall Marshall, I say yes. Udoh has a focus and a team commitment that is unusual for professionals even at this level. Interior defense is something that I would covet in terms of constructing a winning team, and Udoh definitely brings this.

Scenario #2

- Trading up, Michael Kidd - Gilchrist

The starting line up lacks a slashing swingman who can score at the rim with athleticism, and distribute the ball off the dribble. The Warriors badly need a mediator who can do both of these things. Also, the acquisition of Bogut has added a quality of toughness in the middle. Adding Gilchrist would give the team the toughness they need on the perimeter.

Offensively, the beauty of Kidd-Gilchrist is his fearlessness. Klay Thompson needs another ball-handler next to him opposite of Curry. Gilchrist may not quite be that, but he's too fearless to care otherwise. He attacks relentlessly - not so much without skills, either. With the jump shooting of Curry and Thompson, the starters need a guy to lay it all on the line.

Defensively, MKG challenges with grit and desire. Defense and rebounding are the main ingredients when creating a winning recipe, and Gilchrist can do both on an elite level. Most teams have a scorer at one of the three perimeter positions. Gilchrist can challenge scorers at any of these positions.

With young players like Charles Jenkins, Jeremy Tyler, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist being the youngest, would still be capable of leading the charge with this reputed work ethic. Starting every morning at 5 am, the freshman urged his teammates to participate in shoot-arounds at every dawn. The group became known as "The Breakfast Club".

These are the kinds of things Mark Jackson appreciates and needs from this young team in order to be a successful coach. Michael can provide this energetic unity.

~ Plan of acquisition

If Kidd-Gilchrist is selected by the Bobcats at 2, it might prove advantageous to the Warriors given the previous rapport between the two ball clubs. I think the plan is clearly to package the no. 30 overall pick, no. 35 pick, and Dorell Wright for either the Rocket's 14th or 16th pick (they have two).

Then trade the 7th and 14th pick for MKG.

Larry Riley has stated that the Warriors will be players in this upcoming draft. Undoubtedly, exciting news.

With the acquisition of Richard Jefferson, the team has made it clear that they will focus primarily for the next two years, to continue to add talent through the draft rather than free agency. With the writing now clearly on the wall, how will the Warriors manage the draft picks recently acquired, plus seldom played but talented Jeremy Tyler, along with the discontented Dorell Wright?

Could Utah be a partner?

The Jazz are currently sitting at the 10th and 13th slots for the upcoming draft. With a wealth of 4/5's, and the need to restructure their backcourt, the Jazz are looking at a quality pool of big men, but not guards. Bradley Beal seems to be a good fit for them at 10, but do they draft Lillard or Rivers at 13?

Can the Warriors possibly be players for their 13th pick?

Could the Warriors convince the Utah Jazz to trade their 13th pick for Jeremy Tyler, Charles Jenkins, our 3 draft choices, and Dorell Wright?

Could we then move further up the lottery, offering the 13th pick acquired from Utah and next year's 1st round draft choice to Portland for a realistic shot at Barnes, Robinson, or Sullinger? Portland has Lamarcus, and Batum at SF. They would still have a shot a quality center or Lillard at 13. The Warriors, being a sub .500 team, could offer them next year's pick as well.

This is the year we need to score. This upcoming season marks the beginning of a new era, and it needs positive momentum. All we need is one more, big time prospect. The NBA is beautiful in this way. One guy can make all the difference.

I want to hear what you think the Warriors are able to do this upcoming draft, and if there is a chance to get into the top 8 with the assets they currently have.

Jared Sullinger, a monstrous 4/5 who could develop behind Lee, and play major minutes as our third-rotation big.

Harrison Barnes would give the Warriors one of the youngest, brightest, and most dangerous 1,2,3 combos in the league.

Thomas Robinson will simply be a star.

Who do you like and why?

Thanks

Why the Warriors are a better team without Monta Ellis

What did the Warriors learn from the Jeremy Lin situation?

The NBA is a player's league, but basketball will always be a team game. Lin was able to lead his team on a valiant winning streak without the team's best scorer (Carmelo) on the court. It was not until Carmelo's return, that the Knicks and Jeremy Lin lost their successful momentum. Why did this happen?

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It goes without saying, that the best one-on-one "scorers" in the league, are most often players who love to dribble the ball. Since basketball is a team sport, the most effective offense is one that finds success through the utilization of the team as a whole.

Passing - Consistently passing the ball well on offense keeps the opposing defense on their heels. The way to burn a defense is through ball movement and high percentage shooting. The two go hand in hand, since passing enables open, high percentage shots.

Dribbling vs. Passing - If you watch film of Ellis, you will immediately notice something when he catches the ball: He puts it on the court first, looks to pass second. This is flawed action, and is counter-productive towards activating high percentage shots. It shuts down your offense. Playing this way, you live and die with your scorer.

When you're passing the ball effectively on offense, the opposing defense is screaming WAIT! STOP THE BALL! LET ME CATCH UP! They are constantly trying to cover lost ground, and have no idea where the ball will be passed next. It keeps them in limbo.

When you dribble the ball first, and look to pass second, you allow the defense to catch up the ball, get themselves set, and the momentum is lost.

TRANSLATION: When your best player/scorer (Monta Ellis) is the guy who touches the ball the most, dribbles it first and looks to pass second, it destroys your offense's momentum.

Now the defense has located the ball. Ellis is over there dribbling it....noted. There's only one place he's going to take it, and it's not his own goal. Now the defense is positioned to deny the pass. Now, they're planning on reacting to the Ellis drive. They're ready for it.

Question:

Exactly how much is there to gain from your big minute player, who's only strength is his offense, if he's disrupting the team's overall offense?

Conclusion:

There are capable scorers on this team abound. The offense will produce much more efficiently, and at a higher rate, simply without Monta Ellis on the court.

Monta needs a center who can finish at the rim, to be an effective fit with a team on offense. Without this, he will simply present the same dilemma to the Bucks.

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The Warriors made a statement with the Stephen Jackson / Richard Jefferson trade, and it was this: We are a team that is going to build through the draft, from here on out.

The Warriors willingly bit the bullet before the trade deadline, taking back 3 years worth of contract in the 10.0 million range, in sacrifice of attaining a 1st round draft pick. This tells us what?

Free Agency: We tried it, we failed. We can't afford to fail again.

The Draft: We tried it, we succeeded. We need to succeed more often.

THE DAKOTA WIZARDS -----------

Developing Talent: With the vision of Jerry West, young assets will become the marrow of this team. We will be a farm system for the NBA's youngest and bravest. Our newly acquired NBADL team will leave our draft picks untouched by the greedy hands of our NBA neighbors, leaving Joe Lacob to buy as many draft picks as his heart's content.

We have nothing to lose by acquiring as many 2nd round picks as possible,and we can raise them in our system through the Wizards. How many great players have been drafted late? It's a stroke of genius. How exciting it is to be a Warriors fan! This organization will change the league and the use of the D-League, forever.

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There have been statements coming from the Warriors' FO, that they will be a busy team come draft night...

The team currently has 3 draft picks at their disposal. With young, athletic, F/C Jeremy Tyler, combined with the Warriors 3 draft picks, could it be enough to move up in the draft and acquire a talent like Thomas Robinson?

Utah is sitting at 10 and 13 right now. If the draft were today, they would have a shot at two lottery picks. They need a point guard, and they currently have a plethora of young, talented bigs.

Could Utah use their 10th or 13th draft pick to add Austin Rivers?

Could Golden State offer all of their draft choices + Jeremy Tyler and Dorell wright for Thomas Robinson, if he were to fall from the top 10 selections?

Thomas Robinson

The Warriors need a third big man. Robinson owns one of the best per - minute rebounding rates in college basketball. Rebounding translates to the pro's.

He becomes an option for Andrew Bogut or David Lee as an extremely athletic cutter, and his ability to finish at the rim ranks him amongst the most explosive. He has an outstanding motor, so he remains a threat in the open court, and as a defender, you're forced to find him on the court at all times, because of his knack at coming up with offensive rebounds, and his ability to cut and finish strong.

He is a good weak-side shot blocker, and this will pay dividends when putting him in the line up with Lee. His role as an explosive big man off the bench, could prove indispensable to the Warriors' cause. They need to replace Udoh.

Conclusion

If the Warriors' brass has a chance at acquiring Robinson (Utah being an excellent suitor), and they've truly admitted now that they are looking primarily to the draft for ways of improving the team, they have to go after him with everything they've got.

We will win more games without Ellis this season, than with him.

What was the Warriors' identity before the Monta Ellis deal? What is it now?

BUCKS ------------------------------------------------------

Ekpe Udoh - The departure of Ekpe, who was just coming into his own, was a huge loss. It was not athleticism, but balance and timing that based his game. These are not perishable attributes. For this reason, he could play the same way he does now, well into his 30's.

When you have a high character guy like Udoh, if you allow him to become tenured with your club, with the likeliness of him performing at a high level for a long time - This kind of player develops a value with the clubhouse that is not interchangeable. When he speaks, rookie and veteran alike will listen. Defense is about commitment and Udoh is about defense. It appeared as though he would be with the franchise for a long time...

*Ekpe Udoh wore #13 in college....he was traded on the 13th for the 1st time in his career. - Fun Facts

Monta Ellis - There is a bottom line here:

If you have the opportunity to accept a trade, where the main pieces are an elite center for a very good shooting guard, you must make that deal every time.

It was evident long ago, that the growth of Stephen Curry hinged on the success/mood of Monta Ellis. The franchise's commitment to Curry this previous off-season, confirmed by the refusal to deal him for Paul or Rondo, made the relationship between he and Ellis that much more monumental.

It is impossible to accomplish what Mark Jackson is trying convert, if your starting scoring guard is physically unable to guard his position every night. Winning teams guard their position every night.

Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings will make for an electric backcourt. They will run teams out of the gym some nights. Milwaukee needs electricity. They need support.

Kwame Brown - He should come back to the Warriors next year. A 1, 2 punch at center with Bogut and Brown would be a very physical one, one the Warriors have not seen in 20+ years. He seemed to like playing here, and the fans were warming up to him. His appreciation of the opportunity was noticeable, and the front office could reach out to him next season, as a mutual interest may linger.

WARRIORS ------------------------------------------------

Andrew Bogut - You must play to your strengths to win. Yesterday, the Warriors were designed for the fast paced, run and gun game. Coach Mark Jackson is trying to turn them into a defensive, half-court team who can run. This is a catch - 22. Yes, you are teaching them the right way, but you are playing away from your team's strengths.

Now, the Warriors are ready. We are no longer a soft team. Size is an attribute that disables an opposing team's excitement to play you. If you are big and mean, teams will not skip into Oakland and prepare for a possible career outing. This is what the Warriors need in order to gain RESPECT from other teams. Once they gain that respect, then they will finally demand it from David Stern, and the league.

Stephen Jackson - It's hard to believe the Warriors and Stephen Jackson will develop any kind of relationship. I think he will be dealt before the deadline, and this should be the deal:

ROCKETS GET: Stephen Jackson

WARRIORS GET: Terrence Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, 2nd round pick

Stephen Jackson was born and raised in Houston, Texas.

The Rockets gain a versatile player to place next to Kevin Martin, and Kyle Lowry gains another scorer and option.

Luis Scola and Pat Patterson also share the same benefits that Andris Biedrins used to enjoy.

Jackson is happy here. This is key.

Why the Warriors need to make this trade, and why it benefits them: Expiring contracts. Youth.

David Lee and Andrew Bogut are the best passing 4/5 combo in the game.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the best shooting backcourt in the game.

This means that teams will not be able to double team the post, on either side, without paying penalty. Curry and Thompson will check defensive players from doing this. This provides an excellent combination of inside/outside offense. We no longer have a player who can get to the rim, at any time. The inside/outside offense needs a medium. They need an athletic, slashing swingman who can not only score at the rim, but also pick it up off the dribble and make the pass.

Terrence Williams, although underwhelming in the NBA thus far, may simply need to find himself in the right situation before he finds success. He is still relatively young, and is an athletic specimen. Like McGuire, he could blend in as a defensive cog in Jackson's system.

Why not get rid of Stephen Jackson, free up cap room, and give a young player a chance, in a season that will be geared towards developing talent, anyway? Williams has shown flashes of a player who can drive and make passes. The Warriors need this.

2nd round draft pick - This is a deep 1st round. Talent will bleed over to the 2nd round. Give Jerry West draft picks. Jerry West will find talent.

The Warriors would then have three 2nd round draft picks. With Jerry West at the helm overseeing, we will take those odds. We have a chance to gain a rotation player here, or even more?

Hasheem Thabeet - He is an expiring contract and a big body for Jeremy Tyler to beat up in practice. He is the perfect test dummy, and his contract makes this deal possible, earning over 6 million a year.

The Warriors had no identity before the Monta Ellis trade. Tonight, they have one.

Jerry West see's a player.

Klay Thompson is better than Kawhi Leonard. He's the 2nd best player taken in the 2011 draft. Similar to Rick Barry, it is unclear whether Thompson's best quality is his shooting prowess, or his ability to see the floor. As a rookie, Thompson already has the strongest fundamental foundation on the team. He simply plays the game the correct way. He's very good.

In an age where players like Kevin Love are swept under the rug because they are not athletic enough to compete in the NBA, Klay Thompson faced a comparable dynamic when his ability to defend in the this league was questioned, along with his potential to be more than Kyle Korver. Even the beloved Steph Curry went through the same thing. The majority of the fans on Goldenstateofmind.com, had no idea who Thompson even was as a player, immediately calling out for Kawhi Leonard or even Marcus Morris before even giving him a chance to prove himself.

Shooting

Not since Ray Allen has a more laser perfect stroke been introduced to fans of the game. With Klay, it no longer seems to come down to hitting or missing shots, but simply the execution of his form. It does not matter if he is drifting around a screen, dribbling backwards, or streaking down the court to stop on a dime, Thompson has shown a very unique ability to square up on or off the dribble, and execute his form with perfect replication.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson make up for the most efficient backcourt in the NBA, easily. given 30-36 minutes a night each, teams would be unable to stop that sort of firepower, especially considering that both players are the son's of ex-NBA players, and are exceptionally well versed in matters of basketball IQ.

Both are unselfish and understand the manipulation of defenses through ball movement and constant threat of the high percentage shot. Great shooters understand that giving up the dribble weakens their greatest weapon, and thus allows the defense to cheat. Curry and Thompson understanding this, would make for a much more potent offense.

Court Vision and Passing

I watched a play where Thompson's court vision impressed me:

He caught the ball in motion as he crossed the three point line on the left side and met a charging defender who emerged from the paint. Klay switched the ball to his left and executed a hesitation move, which forced the defender to pause against his momentum, leaving him staggered. In the midst of the hesitation, a help defender behind Thompson reached for the ball, and sensing this, Klay then threw the ball ahead of himself, passed the staggered defender to his right side, took a long step to catch up with the ball, and then quickly secured it with both hands as he was now at the rim. The center left Jeremy Tyler, and challenged Thompson as he left his feet for the attack. As soon as the center left the ground, Klay threw a wrap-around pass that led to a Tyler dunk.

His head is always up. His awareness and cool allowed him to stay in the play long enough to see how it fared out. And when it did, he made the right decision.

"I watched Klay all through grade school (played against my son in Portland before moving to LA) and on the tube when he was at WSU. When he was a kid, he excelled at seeing the floor and playmaking. The best I had ever seen. His shooting came along as he got older. The only thing that will hold Klay back is himself. As long has he gains sufficient confidence and doesn't get down on himself he will excel as a starter." - David, Warriors Fan

Getting down on himself seems to be Klay's biggest enemy. Jim Barnett stated that he'd like to see Klay smile more. So would I. I speculate that he is unhappy that he is not playing well enough to decisively take Dorell Wright's position, even though it is obvious that he is the better player in all facets of the game.

Pride and Confidence

Klay has an edge to his game - A quiet determination that drives him to compete. He does not seem so impressed with the national attention the game receives, not enough so that it will make or break his mentality. This is extremely rare for a young player.

It was a preseason game that he shot 2-15 and had a terrible game, but he was determined to find his touch, and was not afraid to sacrifice what seemed like a futile effort in order to prepare himself for the real thing. As the season progressed into the very early stages, Thompson absolutely struggled to score on a very fundamental level. This did not slow him down one bit. As a rookie, missing a high volume of consecutive shots can be devastating to your confidence.

This guy believes in his game. He finds conviction in his talent, and believes in it. That's the kind of true grit that great players are made of.

Defense

It comes back to his pride as a player, and as Mark Jackson loves to say, "holding himself accountable".

He has not fouled out of a game this season, and he understands how to defend without fouling. He does not put his hands on players, he moves his feet, he stays down, and he forces his opponent into the help. Watch him off the ball. He understands how to disable passing lanes, and he always takes the correct angle on his man relative to the ball.

He isn't scared of crashing the glass, and understands his length as an advantage. He challenges shots at the rim and tries to block them. He is not a quitter.

Scoring

How does Stephen Jackson score despite being an average shooter and a poor ball handler? He understands how to use triple threat.

Klay Thompson does not terminate the dribble. He does not waste dribbles. Like Jackson, he understands that triple threat can keep your defender in a limbo, and is great for setting up drives, especially when you are ambidextrous. Thompson makes great use of the left hand, and can pass or finish with it.

He has wonderful body control in close, which allows him to finish under the rim over the bigs. He never loses his head at the rim and takes his time in a hurry. This allows him to make use of an assortment of moves. He's aware of how to get an open shot in traffic without being in a rush.

Conclusion

He's the perfect running mate for Stephen Curry and David Lee. All three of them have a high BB IQ (Lee, especially) and Thompson takes some pressure off of Curry, (not being a natural point guard) allowing him a teammate to take on some of the decision-making duties.

Curry's strengths are tremendous off the ball, as a spot-up shooter. Klay allows him to be this, as Thompson understands how to secure the ball, create an angle, and set up teammates.

Thompson's strengths are tremendous of the ball, as a spot-up shooter. Their strengths are symmetric. Curry does for Thompson off the ball, just Thompson does for Curry.

Thompson is the real deal and a pure basketball player. He understands the game much more than Monta Ellis, and should be awarded his position as the Warriors' starting shooting guard. He is the perfect running mate for Stephen Curry, and at the end of the day, both players will be better for it.

Would you rather have Monta Ellis or Klay Thompson as your future starting 2 guard?

The Warriors may have to force their hand with the Andris Biedrins situation, one way or the other. They may try to deal him, or they may keep him for the remainder of his contract.

If they decide to keep him, their best option may be to send him to play for their D-League affiliate. This would be a huge insult to many players who have started consecutive years in this league, and especially a slap in the face to a starter who should arguably be in his prime.

It could go 1 of 2 ways:

1) Ideal: Biedrins would probably be the best center in the entire D-League. This means he would dominate. This means he would gain confidence through his dominance. After 4 weeks of destroying semi-pros, he gets recalled and his confidence carries over to NBA games on a consistent basis. He finds the fire again. Remember those summers playing in Latvia? Remember how confidently he spoke of a "new Andris Biedrins" all those years ago? Maybe this situation mirrors those past experiences, and positively effects his consistency.

2) Disaster: Andris completely loses confidence and his feelings are hurt. He plays even worse, in a worse league. He makes the gag reel on ESPN. He loses all value, and we can no longer trade him.

I realize this is a highly unlikely situation, given the fact that he's the only real center on the team, and Mark Jackson probably would protest the move of even happening in the first place.

But what do you guys think?

Catharsis

It is not easy to compare the Golden State Warriors to any other franchise in the league. We now stand exclusively, as the undisputed champ of historically bad franchises. The Clippers are out of the dog house. Sure, the new ownership is the most important and first step out of hell, but what else? Where do we go now?

I was born in Oakland, and live there to this day. I get goosebumps when I look up on 880 and see the Arena. I'm proud to have a team in the city where I was born and raised - a luxury not all kids get to experience.

But, I'd gladly give up the scenery on 880, swallow a bit of pride, and make the B.A.R.T. trip under the water if the Warriors emerged perennial winners and gained overall credibility as a franchise.

Why does San Francisco change the situation?

Does the average non-Californian college prospect coming into the league realize how close Oakland is to San Francisco? Does the free agent? Do they know the relevance of the San Francisco, and even the greater Bay Area?....The gold in Silicon Valley?

I've never been to New York. Even still, if you show me a post card of Newark, New Jersey, and then flash another of Manhattan, New York, I'm going to quickly tell you where I'd rather spend my time. Why wouldn't the same principle apply to a pro athlete, when comparing Oakland to San Francisco? People are people.

Clearly, it matters. Once you associate what San Francisco means in relation to the rest of the United States, and as long as it's teams (Giants, 49ers) are winning, the city of San Francisco will be synonymous with two things:

1) Premium living 2) Winning

For the outsider, what is Oakland synonymous with?

Whether or not Oakland is 5 miles from San Francisco or 500 miles, is not relevant to somebody who doesn't know any better. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not a team is serious about winning. Joe Lacob has said he wants to win. The money he put on the table, his whispers of moving the team across the bay, and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y10F_6VQ0WY......would help the cause.

Every athlete's dream is to play on the big stage. San Francisco is a big stage. Build it, and they will come.

Is Monta Ellis valuable enough to earn the Warriors a top draft pick for this upcoming selection?

The Warriors may or may not have a 1st round draft choice this season. We know:

A) It's the deepest draft in years. The kind of draft that should make it easy for a team with a top 10 selection to pick up a guy who can be a multiple all-star and some day retire with his franchise. It would be devastating to miss out on such a player at this point.

B) Jerry West is our consultant, and perhaps the best in the game, even today. We don't know how much time he has with us, and his ability to evaluate would be critical in the event of choosing between 4 guys who all possess talent/potential. If we are to build through the draft the way OKC has, now would be the best time.

If such a swap was managed, how possible would it be for the Warriors to have 2 top 10 picks by season's end? The Warriors would struggle by trading Ellis without immediate help, but this would give us a great chance to keep our top 7 pick, as well as pushing the development of our young players.

When you build a house, you don't build the roof first.

By keeping Monta Ellis as our starting shooting guard, we are essentially accepting the fact that in order to be effective, (esp. on the defensive end) we have to design our roster to accommodate such a player, with all his strengths and weaknesses. (e.g. A shot-blocking center, strong help defenders at 3).

This automatically puts us at a disadvantage, because our options of choosing a compatible center, now drop dramatically. In other words, if you start a small backcourt, you're going to need a shotblocker behind them.

If you have a starting center who is a shot blocker, chances are, he's not much of a scorer. The kind of centers who can control the game by scoring and defending the post, are the same kind of guys who are synonymous with names like Dwight Howard. We don't have the talent to trade for such a player, we don't have the draw to sign one, and we don't have the positioning to draft one. So automatically, if you want to be a defensive team, you're disqualified from putting a center in the lineup who's specialty is scoring, if Monta is playing 36 minutes a night.

Question: If Monta Ellis is taking the majority of the offense's shots, when does the improvement of talent in the remainder of your starting lineup begin to matter on that end of the court?

If we somehow end up with a player who becomes a perennial all-star, and we keep Ellis, would he be as effective in a starting lineup with Ellis than without? Isn't this the issue with he and Stephen Curry? Is Kevin Durant better off with a teammate like Westbrook or Rondo?

The Value of Monta Ellis

Is Monta good enough to talk a team into trading a very high draft pick for him? What do you think? He's having a good year, and he's making teammates better.

If you had a legit chance to draft a Lamb, Barnes, or Drummod, would you take it, if it meant giving up Ellis?

Would the result of such a trade encourage Jackson to bring the rookies on faster, and nudge Ekpe a little harder?

By trading Ellis for a pick, do we give ourselves the best chance of keeping our protected draft choice, giving us 2 top 10 picks, + 2 2nd rounders in a draft where talent is sure to bleed over into the 2nd round?

It's time to rebuild.

We have the support from our owner(s), we have the brains (Jerry West), and we have some encumbered talent (Monta Ellis), and we have the opportunity (Very talented draft class). As a franchise who's still searching for an identity and new beginnings, we can't afford to miss out on this.

(1986, St. John's wins Big East Tournament)

Leaders Are Born

Napoleon Bonaparte was a leader before he tasted victory in the Siege of Tulon. Julius Ceasar was designed for generalship before he led the Romans to Gaul, and expanded what is referenced even centuries later as the greatest empire in world history. Whatever divine or cosmic force that is responsible for the greatness of these men, it surely knew of their quality before the rest of us caught on.

Mark Jackson was a leader before he was a professional basketball player. The kid who electrified bystanders under the Brooklyn street lamps back in the projects, and the young St. John's marvel who's string music inspired the maestro to start up that Old Johnny fight song in front of thousands in attendance, could convince even the most casual spectator that he was indeed, special.

You see, it's only after the moment; after the Goliath has fallen slain and the champagne bottles have been emptied, that people are willing to recognize greatness. However, a leader's affirmation is his confidence, and you can not manifest something within, until it's been practiced with a demonstrative conviction.

In Jackson's case, and perhaps more appropriately the Warriors', there needs to be such an overwhelming demonstration of success for fans to even begin to stick their heads up and search the crowd for the glowing approval of fellow observers who've just lost their virginity to the almighty wow factor. Only then, by popular demand, does it seem acceptable to put your faith in someone and believe in them.

There must be something said for that.

A Worthy Introduction

A vote of confidence from an accomplished player, is a breeding ground for the growth of young talent. While still at St. John's, Jackson recalls the moment he met Isaiah Thomas. At the time, Thomas was one of the NBA's most preeminent playmakers.

''He just came up to me,'' Jackson said. ''He said, 'I really like your game, you're gonna be all right.' I don't know how much he realized it, but that meant a lot to me to have somebody like Isiah say that. I thought about it a great deal. So when I step on the court, I can push everything else aside, because I know I've already got the respect of someone who's at the top of his class. That's when I knew I was headed in the right direction.''

Zeke wasn't the only one impressed. The coach of St. John's Basketball, along with many others gleamed about Jackson's early leadership.

''He made me a very proud man. I took every shot he took, and with every pass he made, I screamed, 'Great.' We've had some great passers at St. John's - Mark ranks with them.

- Lou Carnesecca

Jackson kept his coach proud and screaming when he plunged head first in the fiery lake of competition that is the NBA. In his first game, at the Garden, he went up against one of the best.

''I like the way the kid played,'' said Dennis Johnson, the Celtics' all-star guard who was matched against Jackson for 35 minutes. ''He's a New York kid and there had to be a lot of pressure on him making his first start before a capacity crowd. He handled himself well. He reminded me some of Walt Frazier in the way he played.''

It seems Jackson has a knack for first impressions. Joe Lacob was certainly convinced enough to provide him a dotted line over a list of tenured suitors. Deseree Coleman would become Deseree Jackson not long after dinner, one night in a New York restaurant. Some of the toughest fans in America embraced Mark and stood behind him to witness maybe the greatest introduction in point guard history. Will Jackson continue his midas trend of creating believers on the Warriors fan base? ...his proximity dynamic suggests so.

Jackson's confidence would set the table for his rookie season as a catalyst for the Knicks. He would average nearly 11 assists per game (10.6) - Something no rookie in the NBA had ever done, and would also shatter a record with 868 assists that season. The belief of his coach, Rick Pitino, would only add fuel to the fire.

In a game where the Knicks found themselves tied with the Hawks after a Bill Cartwright score with only a minute remaining, Jackson would take over.

''I could have called a timeout, and the worst that could have happened was that the game would have gone into overtime. But I have so much confidence in Mark doing the right thing to help us win that I let him go. He's done so much for this team. He's definitely not only the rookie of the year, but perhaps the sixth or seventh best player in the league this year.''

- Rick Pitino

His quest as an NBA player began in 1986. His quest as an NBA coach, begins tonight...

"...an extension of the coach."

A Player, Coaching in a Player's League

From the time Mark Jackson first picked up a ball, until his recent installment as the Warriors' new head coach...How many days in his life do you think his mind has been away from the game of basketball?

Whenever I imagine the epitome of great leadership, I reminisce on a picture from Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus". It depicts a general walking through his camp, inspecting his soldiers before the night of a great battle. Though the air is cold and the ground rocky and cruel, the men calmly sit by their fires, nodding approvingly and admiringly as the seasoned general passes by. They believe in him.

Jackson's natural talent as a communicator trumps his 17 years of experience as a player. Yes, his reputation as a player earns the initial respect, but it's his gift of watching people, recognizing their humanity, and then treating them thusly as individuals, that will be the glue that keeps the fabric of the tribe together.

The psychological art of push and pull is mastered through the role of a mediator. If confidence is all that matters in pro sports, then every player is literally his own greatest opponent. A great leader must stand between a player vs. himself in order to ensure that this confidence is sustained, or even rebuilt.

After all, a pastor should know better than anybody else that faith is the most delicate enterprise known to man.

I have faith in Mark Jackson.

via i.cdn.turner.com

Rare Build

"Due to physicality, spends a lot of time at the free throw line (6.7 FTA per game)" 

"Crafty ball-control combined with overwhelming strength makes him hard to keep out of the lane... Finds unique ways to finish at the rim." - NBAdraft.net

At 220 lbs, carrying only 4% body fat, the 6'3" rookie is truly unique at the point guard position, and one of the most solid specimens in the draft. He holds an advantage at his position similar to Corey Maggette's; a rare combination of balance, power, and speed. 

Maggette is a nightmare to defend. He is too powerful for shooting guards on and off the ball, and too quick for most SF's to contain as well.

Charles Jenkins poses a similar problem to point guards. Few are strong enough to misdirect his drives to the rim. Aside from Deron Williams and Baron Davis, I can't think of anyone who shares his kind of size/power. He is too shifty with the ball for bigger wing players, and he's likely to overpower most point guards. Although C.J. Watson is extremely lighter, he and Jenkins scored comparatively on the agility and speed test at the combine. 

Ht: 6'3 1/4   Wt: 216   Wingspan: 6'8   Max Vert: 34 inches    Bench press: 16     3/4 sprint: 3.18    Agility: 11.68

                                                                                         C.J. Watson     3/4 sprint 3.15     Agility: 11.61 

(Remember how fast Watson could be in the open court? Charles is a player who's just as fast, +40 lbs. of power, with a game that's designed for attacking the rim.)

Open court assassin

Aside from his train-like build, Jenkins is incredible at getting to the rim with either hand. According to Synergy Data, Jenkins had a national best, 1.3261 on left-hand drives, which he did 59% of the time, despite being right-handed. 

"Very aggressive in transition, never shying away from contact." - NBAdraft.net 

"Suffice it to say, Jenkins does not shy away from contact and is able to finish in traffic with the best of them." - Rush the court

Efficiency

It's clear that every team needs a potent scoring threat off the bench. An efficient back up will not only maintain the punch of your 2nd team's offense, but also improves the defense by cutting down on missed FG's. Coming from a small school like Hofstra, it's conceivable how Jenkin's elite productivity went overlooked. 

"According to data from Synergy Sports Technology, Jenkins ranks as the second most efficient isolation threat in the NCAA (afterAndrew Goudelock), scoring on over 50% of his attempts when going one on one (minimum 50 possessions). He also ranks in the top-10 in pick and roll situations and in the top-25 as a catch and shoot threat."

"Jenkins is shooting a blistering 64.8% from inside of the arc while displaying a versatile scoring arsenal. (January)"

"He is an elite scorer from beyond the arc where he is currently shooting 43.8% on 3.2 attempts per game"

"Jenkins shows consistent mechanics, a quick release, and terrific touch, which suggests that he will continue to be successful at the next level."

"While players like Fredette, Walker, Providence starMarshon Brooksand even Charleston'sAndrew Goudelockare attempting in the realm of 18 to 19 shots per game, the Hofstra senior has managed his eye popping scoring numbers on just 14.5 attempts."

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Reggie Williams, and Charles Jenkins - those are a group of very young guards who are disciplined and educated on the offensive end. All of them pass the ball. 

Consistency

"In 128 career games, he reached double figures 122 times"  - NBA.com

We need our bench production to not only be efficient, but significant enough to be a factor on a consistent basis. You need strong-willed, level-headed guys to come in and meet expectations. 

True Point Guard Ability

"His ability to distribute the ball should not be overlooked, as he averaged just shy of five dimes a game and boasted a 2.16 assist to turnover ratio. Jenkins is the prototypical "instant offense" kind of player that simply knows how to put the ball in the hole."

Jenkins is drawing many comparisons to players like New Orleans' guard, Marcus Thornton. By all accounts in the hoops world, Charles is considered to possess a rare combination of basketball knowledge and learned discipline, as Hofstra Pride's dominant ball-handler.

For being so ball dominant, so relied upon to produce offense, it's a wonder how he didn't turn the ball over more being a "scorer." Here's what Jenkins had to say about his ability to be a point guard on the next level:

 

""I have a lot of different sides of my game that people haven't seen," says Jenkins. "My scoring has opened a lot of eyes for people who didn't know I was capable of these things. It's a way for me to get my foot in the door and once there, a lot of other parts of my games will be exposed."

"I'm a great passer which a lot of people don't really know. People see my scoring numbers and that's really all they see, but I'm smart enough to know the ways I'm going to score there."

 

"Jenkins ranked 4th in the nation in scoring at 23.5 points, but his nearly five assists per game leads the CAA, making him one of two players at the Division 1 level to lead his conference in both categories."

Icy Nerves

"63.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot opportunities came with a man in his face -- yet showed an ability to make tough jumpers. His efficiency on guarded shots off the catch was 1.3898 PPP, which ranked 15th nationally among players with at least 50 such possessions." -SI 

Check this out:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nySUqQA53UQ

Here are a pair of game-tying and game-winning shots Jenkins scored earlier this year, in a tightly competitive bout vs. William & Mary. He also made the key stop in overtime just before his 2nd buzzer-beater. He will fit right in before the Oracle crowd. 

Character

"He really is what college athletics is all about...he's just an unbelievable kid." - Hofstra Head Coach, Mo Cassara

Charles says that his first NBA paycheck will be put away for his niece as a college fund. 

"That's typical Charles," said Fordham coach Tom Pecora, who recruited Jenkins to Hofstra and coached him for three years. "He's saying, 'How can I help my parents? How can I help my niece?' That's rare for a 22-year-old person to think that way."

Indeed. Jenkins is the kind of guy you want to have your back. He's a great teammate, he's smart, he's talented, he's reliable, and he's mature enough to know that the team always comes first. Like his coach said, "He's really what college athletics is all about."

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

HOW HE FITS IN BACKCOURT 

Stephen Curry - Similar to the way Ellis played off a big guard in Baron Davis, so can Curry do with Jenkins. I'm anxious to see what Curry can do against certain teams if he slides over to the 2. If Jenkins' IQ and ability allow him to play the point guard effectively at this level, then it could work.

Imagine an offensive scheme with weaving high-low screens and Curry putting that masterful footwork to the test against bigger, slower opponents. Jenkins, with his strength and control, should be able to seek certain angles on the court where he can pinpoint Curry. With a deep understanding of the game, this could prove to be an effective strategy on some given nights. 

Reggie Williams - Both of these guys are extremely efficient and unselfish. Not only do they both have solid size at their position, but our offensive potency from the bench will be outstanding with this backcourt. Both of them are extremely humble and talented. Not only will they be a great tandem for the Warriors off the bench, but I expect they'll become good friends, as well. Both are very respectful men. 

Klay Thompson -  Jenkin's ability to get to the rim will be a weapon of paramount effect with a worker off the ball, and pure shooter in Klay Thompson. Contrary to many opinions, Klay is very good at creating his own shot and making plays for others. He will be able to recognize a player like Charles setting up in the corner, and Klay has the skills to draw the defense and execute the pass. Both rookies are extremely intelligent. I expect a growing chemistry to brew between Klay and Charles during the off-season and heading into training camp (assuming no lock-out). 

Monta Ellis - There is much uncertainty involving the possibility of Ellis and Jenkins ever suiting up together as Warriors. I belong to the school who believes that Monta will be dealt some time after the players and owners reach an agreement. 

Link: http://www.nbadraft.net/players/klay-thompson

The following will be segmented quotations from Klay Thompson's scouting report found within the link above, at NBADRAFT.NET

Strengths of Klay/Steph duo:

1. Shooting

"One of the top pure shooters on the college level...Prolific outside shooter with a defined role for the NBA level..Very good spot up shooter ..Has perfect form on his shot and deep range. Squares to the basket. Quick, concise, fluid stroke with a high release ... Gets his shot off quickly and can do so without needing much space ... Exhibits prudent shot selection ...

Our backcourt would pack the biggest punch in the league in terms of pure fire power. Having two pure shooters at the 1 and two speeds up the offense in a very good, efficient way. Those guys could absolutely turn the lights out. Teams would struggle employing the zone, and it would allow our offense to operate with extreme prejudice. 

2. Size

"Right hander who at 6'7 with long arms has good size for the NBA 2-guard position ... "

The advantage this would pose should be obvious enough. We go from a very small backcourt, to one of the bigger tandems in the league. Curry is now a legitimate 6-4, while Thompson is said to be 6-7 w/shoes. 

A long, pure shooter can maintain a career more efficiently than an undersized 2 who's game is based on athleticism.

Aside from the issue of his size, a major pitfall to Monta's game will be the eventual decline of his first step and explosiveness at the rim - But a pure shooter will always be a pure shooter. 

3. Basketball acumen

"Shows an excellent feel having been around the game his entire life. Understands his limitations and plays within his game well ..."

If your two primary ball handlers own a high basketball IQ, you're going to get higher percentage shots, while decreasing the turnover rate. It's going to be a process for this team to get better defensively. In the meantime, we need to value our possessions and certainly get the most out of scoring opportunities. 

While Curry's road towards becoming an elite scorer in this league is being paved, Klay provides Curry with a 1st option on the wing, and would be responsible for many of Steph's assists.

Thompson knows how to space the floor and he's humble enough to let Curry be the player he was made to be.

It would be refreshing knowing that your starting 2 has bought into the idea of playing off of his point guard, rather than the other way around. 

4. Improved ball movement

" Plays well off the ball. Stays active. Works hard to create scoring opportunities. Understands how to create shots for himself off the ball coming off screens ... " 

"Another area Thompson improved upon during his time in college is his passing game, something he'll likely need to continue doing at the pro level. He shows occasional prowess both on simple drive-and-dishes and operating pick-and-rolls, being a solid passer for a wing. Given his likely diminished scoring role in the pros, turning this area from adequate to a strength could definitely help him become a useful cog, and it would go well with his prowess moving off the ball."

From DraftExpress.comhttp://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Klay-Thompson-5490/#ixzz1Q4gOVWOo
http://www.draftexpress.com

Since Curry is not a natural point, it would cater to his growth and success as a distributor, to have a player who is capable of utilizing screens effectively and truly putting in an effort moving off the ball. It would also be a luxury to run plays for Steph off the ball, having a 2 - guard who can see the play develop ahead of time. 

Mark Jackson will put Stephen in a whole new world of opportunity when it comes to creating for teammates, as opposed to Keith Smart, who was more interested in running the ball through Ellis. 

Both of these guards are extremely intelligent when it comes to creating scoring opportunities for themselves by recognizing the situation on the court and moving to the proper spot. When you have two guys who can do that  along with shoot the ball at an elite level, it only takes a split second to recognize the play and execute it.

5. Dual playmaking guards

"Comfortable handling the ball and can use the dribble to create shots ... Can use his left hand effectively ... Shows an advanced in between game with tear drops and the use of the glass ... " 

"In terms of attacking off the dribble, Thompson is settling for fewer pull-up jumpers far away from the basket and using his craftiness to penetrate into the lane, where he's scoring well on a variety of floaters, runners, finger rolls, and lay-ups. His touch and body control are both outstanding, and despite not having a good first step or the ability to separate vertically, his size and length allow him to finish well at this level and he's continually improving his willingness to draw contact, slightly increasing the rate he's gotten to the line this season."

From DraftExpress.comhttp://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Klay-Thompson-5490/#ixzz1PnqatRg7
http://www.draftexpress.com

The league is improving defensively. A backcourt with both superior range and the ability to create offense off the dribble will be a luxury against playoff-bound teams that are able to man an imposing defense.

Klay shares Stephen's craftiness handling the ball. Both are capable of creating offense off the dribble, drawing the defense, and making the pass. 

Overall

I think these two were made to play together. Their skills complement one another's extremely well, and they both have an advanced understanding of the game.

Both of them know exactly who they are as players, and both are determined to improve to the heights of their potential. Very coachable young guys too - very selfless, laid back personalities. Both of them have a desire to win. I hope we find a way to draft Klay Thompson. He's going to be the steal of the lottery.

He can be a player like Ray Allen.

Bobby Rowell is gone. As each day passes in Warrior Land, Joe Lacob is creating such a dissimilar atmosphere than the former, that the old blood stains on the floor are finally surrendering to the brush. 

Mutiny on the bounty would've been too admirable a description to describe the latter end of the Cohan era. Crew members were eagerly awaiting the first opportunity to ditch this crappy rig and befriend the great whites - Anywhere but here. 

While the burning of Bobby provided an extra gust of wind to the direction of the ownership's sails, Lacob's most overlooked action as our nautical captain will prove to be the retaining of Larry Riley as our team's GM.

Why?

It takes a unique beast to conduct a trial of agreement between fellow experts and competitors of the sport. Whether it be young enthusiasm vs. old wisdom, diligent pursuit vs. contemplative observance; there is no argument or doubt that the Warriors have a mixed bag of talent in their FO.

For whatever occasion, the assembling of talent will always take its own natural course of development in determining a true leader. 

Though nobody in the front office is willing to exaggerate or even admit the notion, it takes nothing from the inevitability and eventual obtrusiveness of a major disagreement.

Obviously, nobody ascended to their position by continuously betraying their instincts and allowing others to change their mind, right? No doubt, it's something that must be managed, something that requires careful handling. 

This is where Riley comes in. Owning over 40 years of experience in nearly every capacity that the game has to offer, Larry is no stranger to adaptation. He's been over and under the authority, and he's served as both student and teacher. 

This is why he is the man for the job.

Larry sits rightfully in the medium chair that receives messages from men like Jerry West, who is accustomed to sending messages downstairs. He also takes that chair looking downward, to an up-and-coming executive like Bob Myers, who is used to relaying messages upstairs. Up or down, should an idea or opinion be invalidated by default? No. Hence, Riley.

Lacob's role is the agitator. He just kicks his ideas into play and sits back while the others juggle them up and down the court, with a satisfied, dumb little grin on his face. It's good to be king. 

West

^

Riley     >                      Joe Lacob 

v                                             

Myers                                v              

         Travis Schlenk    Kirk Lacob    Mark Jackson

With Myers' inexperience as a leader, and West's as a follower, Riley's combined experience as both will allow him the versatility to decipher where each and all men are coming from, paying credence and appreciation to the form as his democratic personality provides the glue needed to make a perfect middle man amongst a group of giants. 

Besides, wouldn't you want your trigger man calm, considering all sides, before pushing the red button?

The power of disagreement is inevitable and may very well be underestimated in this case. But Joe's brilliance as an architect has won my faith as a fan. It's going to be an exciting off-season, and I think the Warriors have set all their stones in the correct places. The firing of Bobby Rowell has only added momentum and positive energy to the cause. 

If the goal is truly to evaluate the entire organization from top to bottom, I'm hoping we will see the last of "Fitz" before training camp. 

He just reeks of the Cohan era and I can't tolerate his tiresome, opinionated act any longer. Bring back Greg Papa. He's a class act, and with Jim Barnett, would give the Warriors the best broadcasting team in the NBA.

"Luck is the residue of design." - John Milton

    A young Joe Lacob walked up the isles of Anaheim Stadium with a cracking voice and peanuts. The pop of the bat and the explosion of the crowd caused him to look over his shoulder down at the field, once again ensuing a familiar daydream of gladiatorial architecture. Before you roll your eyes and dismiss such pitiful enthusiasm, know this: Joe Lacob is accustomed to winning.

It could be argued that "His Airness" and even "The Sheen", though grotesquely dissimilar, both possessed undeniably alluring traits from day one. Jordan's remarkable talent and natural competitiveness made him king of the court - Charlie had the Hollywood background and devil-may-care, time bomb act that's always prone to generate attention and millions of dollars from the chumps who care enough to look. What did Lacob have to sell?

How does an extremely ordinary looking man with the personality of one who might apologize up and down for stepping on your shoe, constitute the kind of exaggerated momentum that would inevitably torpedo him out of the peanut stand, and into a frightening land of bloodthirsty giants known as the world of venture capitalism?

Guts.

The world is flat. Nobody can eat 50 eggs. The Warriors will never be a championship team, again.

Look, we can be 99.9% percent positive that anybody reading this has not experienced the scale of success of Joe Lacob. Who cares, right? Well, if one lieutenant leads his platoon to get cut down by the machine guns while the other leapfrogs the foxholes to victory, where would your allegiance lie the next go-around? The man has instinct. He's overcome ridiculous odds to be in this position, and to me, that's a very encouraging thought, all future endeavors concerned.

METHOD TO THE MADNESS? Why Mark Jackson could be a good hire

Personality impact

Why do people bring up Mark Jackson's ordained ministry? Why is that relevant at all?

People go to church for answers. They seek remedies for just about every tangible avenue of daily anxiety imaginable. It takes a natural leader to genuinely inspire and instill some sort of relief and strength to those who are in desperation. Matters of faith aside, the profession demands popularity, people skills if you will - not something every good NBA coach has been endowed with, eh? But look again at all the coaching greats - you'll find something about their personality dynamics circled in red ink somewhere near the top of that tall list of desirable attributes.

Fitting in

Forgive me for the Forrest Gump reference, but life is like a good game of basketball. If you manage to fly above it, you need someone trustworthy to pull you back and encourage your focus. If you're fighting to stay alive, you need someone to sock you in the chest and spit at you through their teeth while their screaming in your face, stirring up that mad dog in you. Jackson can do that. When you're talking about "building a young team", that kind of flammable vitality and stone calm is called for in full trumpet.

Lack of experience

This is something that is rubbing the majority of fans in a very inappropriate way. Why would the brass hire someone with no experience in any coaching capacity? On the other hand, there's a simple answer to that: He's been playing. When your career with the ball starts to round off towards it's second decade, and your currently 47, it's not like you've had much of your life to pursue coaching like many others on the bench have. How many years has Mark actually been away from the game? How much has he learned being who he was on the court, and who he's played under, as opposed to the other candidates considered during that same allotted time? Is the view better understood from the second seat over and occasionally the first, or from the hardwood?

Respect

"Who are you, again?" I wonder how many times this went through Curry's mind when he and Keith Smart were at odds concerning a play, on the sideline during a timeout. Smart is a great guy. He kept the team together and focused on playing the game. Jackson can maintain that element while demanding respect through what he's accomplished on the court. Every player respects those accolades and admires them. Few teams can afford the same luxury of having a coach and mentor instructing their youngest player.

Outlook

In the NBA, if done correctly, it seems to generally take a team 3 years to turn a 180. Now, considering all things go as Lacob planned, once the young Warriors become the learned, veteran Warriors, contract time will be up, Jerry West and company would have had time to build the roster, and further reconstructing can be done. Jackson may not be the coach to get us over the big hump and into the promised land, but he can lay the groundwork and get the youngsters to play defense, establish a culture. If we can make the playoffs a couple years a in a row, our franchise suddenly becomes much sexier to the elite super coaches. We're no longer the ugly duckling, Steph Curry will be in his prime, and our team will have hopefully gained a favorable reputation. Then should be the time for the big leap from playoff team to championship contender.

Playoffs? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PLAYOFFS??!!?..........I know, it's all premature. But if we trade Ellis for A.I., sign a Jordan or Nene, and draft a player (Singleton, Burks, Boyombo), the conversation would probably be one of the hot topics in the NBA, truly.

Aside: Chris Mullin vs. Robert Rowell

If Joe wants to sucker punch the politics in the nostalgic nards(!), and begin a following of fans who assign their first born the middle name "Lacob", he should hire Chris Mullin as a chief athletic trainer. Give him some kind of duty where he can work with the players on the court and attend games on or behind the bench. Second move: Fire RR. I don't know how spectacular or mediocre Rowell is at what he does. Does it matter?

It is believed that Andris Biedrins, despite his large contract and diminished impact, still holds enough stock to be dealt. I wanted to hear some ideas regarding a suitable destination for Andris, as I could only come up with one, myself.

Philadelphia gets: Andris Biedrins

Warriors get: Andres Nocioni, Jodie Meeks

Nocioni has 3 years left on his contract for a significantly less amount of pay. He's a swingman who brings a lot of grit and edginess to a team. He is not a fun player to compete against at all. The Warriors would do well to grant Andris a new opportunity to find himself in another city, while adding an element of veteran toughness to their perimeter defense. 

I don't know if Philly is the place most suited for Biedrins, but they are in need of a center. The east coast has a greater Eastern European population, which may or may not serve as some kind of personal allure, I don't know.

Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young will continue to improve and impinge on Nocioni's role. I could be very wrong, but it seems that both teams are addressing a need, consequently allowing the Warriors a good sum of future cap room that could assist them in the process of structuring a new contract for Stephen Curry. 

Does anybody have any suggestions about what should be done with Andris, and more specifically, what would that situation embellish for both parties involved? 

I've recently lost touch a bit with the GSoM world, so I'm not sure if this has been discussed yet or not. 

I want to ask: What does the arrival of Bob Myers mean for the organization, and how long would one with knowledge of this man expect him to make an impact? 

I understand that he is one of the more likable men in the association and is highly respected from player to president. Is he convincingly talented enough to pull in the likes of a DeAndre Jordan this off-season? Myers is Jordan's agent. Generally, players and agents share a pretty close relationship, particularly if the agent is good at what he does and has high character (Put's his players first). 

To some degree, Jordan would be stupid to leave what is going on right now in Clipper land. He's got a front court mate who may very well own some MVP trophies in the near future, with support of other young talents such as Gordon, Aminu, and Bledsoe. Could Myers convince Lacob to act on behalf of DeAndre and make a push to snatch him from the Clip's roster?

The tandem of David Lee and DeAndre Jordan could be a very effective one, with optimal stopping power at the rim if Udoh were to come in and spell Lee at the 4. If Ellis continues to be our shooting guard, we need to add a big man who can both protect the rim and rebound. This is DeAndre. With Lee at the 4, we will need an Athletic 5 who finishes strong and mixes it up a bit with his size. This is also Jordan.

What do you think our chances are of realistically being a frontrunner in claiming the young center?

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/211132/Warriors_Would_Ship_Gadzuric_Wright_To_Nets_For_Murphy

Several sources are claiming that the Warriors may be part of a 3-way trade that could land former Warrior, rebounder, and 3-point specialist Troy Murphy, in Golden State. The deal would involve the Warriors shipping Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright to the Nets.

Personally, I'm all for this deal. Murphy is on the last year of his huge contract and he gives us good size on the defensive boards. He fits into the philosophy of spreading the court and he's a veteran player. I especially like the 2nd round pick of New Jersey that would be included. Since they have a horrible record, the 2nd round pick would be similar to a low 1st rounder. Given the Warriors excellent scouting in the recent past, I almost trust our chances of picking up a diamond in the rough, rather than having the option between a star and a bust. I'm all for this trade if it does in fact go down.

What are your opinions?

I'm going to list these in the order of most beneficial deal in our favor, to least.

New York Knicks

1st proposed package

New York gets: Monta Ellis, Lou Amundson, Jeremy Lin

Golden State gets: Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari, Eddy Curry

Why New York does this deal:

Monta Ellis - Monta and Amare Stoudemire would make excellent teammates. He's a big time player who belongs in a big time market. Although Monta is a bad teammate to a perimeter scorer, he's a great teammate to a dominant, athletic big. As Ellis gets to the paint whenever he wants, Stoudemire resides there, and remains a scoring threat even when Monta is handling the ball a lot. Amare can do what nobody else on the Warriors' roster can, and it would be futile for defenses to even try to react to the Ellis drive, while worrying about STAT stepping in, being maybe the best finisher in the league at his position.

Amare Stoudemire does not need a point guard. He's the kind of big who creates his own offense, and prefers it that way. When a play is designed to set up a big on the block, or even isolate him, a playmaking point guard becomes less of a priority. Amare doesn't need an angle to take advantage of opponents. He outmatches most anybody he sees.

All in all, I believe that Amare Stoudemire is possibly the best teammate in the league for Monta's particular style. Although the addition of Anthony might crowd the offense, it makes me cringe when I think about what that Big 3 would be capable of doing to even the best team. Monta has the dump off or the kick out with STAT and Melo. Amare has two mid-range shooters to pass out of the double team, plus can play off their scoring efforts in the paint. Melo can defer to either Ellis or Stoudemire as a primary ball handler.

Mike D'Antoni knows who Monta Ellis is. He's watched Monta single-handedly destroy his teams in Phoenix. Given the style Coach D plays, I could imagine his excitement of the idea of adding Ellis to his roster.

Jeremy Lin - He's a sweetens things a bit. Everybody knows about the Asian population in New York. There's a huge, huge market that Jeremy could appeal to over there.

Lou Amundson - Undersized for replacing what they'd lose in Eddy Curry, but a very good replacement for the oft injured Ronny Turiaf. Amundson would be a good teammate for STAT. He never needs the ball to be effective, plays great help defense, and is an outstanding offensive rebounder. He cleans up after Amare.

-

Danilo Gallinari - Imagining a line-up with both Danilo and Carmelo could cause one to become perplexed. Gallinari has size, but is more of a natural scoring wing who needs his touches. With Carmelo playing the same position, there wouldn't be enough playing time to go around. Even if Danilo were to make the permanent move to PF, he'd still be a perimeter oriented offensive player, and out of his element on the defensive end. Unlike Ellis who prefers to get to the paint, Gallinari would not be as effective teaming up with Carmelo. Not to mention, the Knicks would have to pay Gallinari a very respectable contract, which would tighten the purse dramatically if Melo were to come to town, essentially playing 2 guys of the same position close to 30m. 

Landry Fields - He's the big loss. This is essentially what they're giving up in value in order to get Monta. Carmelo would be an upgrade at the SF position, making Danilo expendable, but what Landry Fields does can not be emulated at the 2. Albeit, Ellis alone is a huge threat on offense, and his penetration makes Amare Stoudemire even more dangerous than he already is. Monta is simply too valuable from both a marketing and talent vantage point.

Why the Warriors make this deal:

Danilo Gallinari - He doesn't have the same market pull as he would in NY obviously, but Steph Curry would do a fine job laying out the welcome mat for him. Curry and Gallinari give you unbelievable fire power from the perimeter in a high tempo game. They are perfect teammates - made for eachother. Both are unselfish, both can handle, both are demonic off the ball.

With Steph handling, Danilo becomes a target anywhere on the floor. In turn, when Danilo has the ball, Curry is an even bigger target off the ball. To add insult to injury, DG is a huge wing who sets a nasty screen. With David Lee being the passer he is, Danilo also being a very good passer at the 3, Steph could play like an off-guard, even in a set where he's running the point.

As David Lee and Andris Biedrins improve the paint production, or even an additional player is brought in to help or make that cause worthy, this starting lineup could rival Run TMC, in terms of shooting, ball movement, and explosiveness.

Landry Fields - He's got a chance at being the best glue guy in the league from his position. Just an unrivaled teammate who plays the game chivalrously. Like Stephen Curry, Fields has a special, special feel for the game. He limits his weaknesses and plays to his strengths with conviction. He probably makes us the best rebounding team in the NBA with Galley at the 3, Lee at the 4, and Biedrins at center.

Unlike Monta, he effects the game in so many ways without the ball in his hands. He'll take what Steph will give him, and he's an outstanding finisher. He maximizes the potential and growth in Stephen.

Our starting perimeter players would fit together like a jig-saw. I honestly don't see any flaws in a perimeter tandem of Curry - Fields - Gallinari, in terms of chemistry.

2nd Proposed Deal

New York gets: Monta Ellis, Jeremy Lin

Golden State gets: Landry Fields, Tony Douglas, Eddy Curry, 2011 1st round pick

Cleveland Cavs Deal

Cleveland gets: Monta Ellis, Lou Amundson

Golden State gets: 2011 1st round pick, Anderson Varejao, Christian Eyenga, Ryan Hollins

Why Cleveland does this deal:

Monta Ellis - I have an easy time imagining how many young Cleveland fans are turning to teams like OKC for hope right about now. Never have I seen such a pathetic, broken franchise. Of course Monta doesn't deserve damnation, but he instantly makes the Cavs twice the team they are now, in terms of being watchable. 24 losses in a row can cause even the most stonewall owner to keel over and spew all over his children. Something has to be done.

They can make a change now, and get a star player along with the salary cap, or they can keep their salary and try their hand at a player in the draft. Either way, a team as horrible as the Cavs can be taken advantage of during trade discussions.

Why Golden State does this deal:

2011 1st round pick - Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones, and Enes Kanter. This draft contains some quality big men who could be franchise changers. The Cav's pick would certainly be a top 3 choice, and consequently we'd have a shot at these players. Their pick would put us in a position to evaluate our roster, and make the pick in accordance to what direction we choose to go. Maybe we trade Stephen Curry and draft Kyrie Irivng. Who knows...point is, having the no. 1 overall pick would be a huge, huge advantage in a year of evaluation like the Warriors are experiencing.

Christian Eyenga - I like his youth/athleticism off the bench. I also like the prospect of moving Reggie Williams into the starting line-up for this year under review. The idea is to force the potential of Williams' production by moving him into the starting line-up, building his confidence through a big spike in his minutes. This way we can further justify an extension by season's end, or not. If so, he'll have gained experience and confidence, fully prepared to come in next season as our primary scoring threat off the bench.

Anderson Varejao - Great defender, solid rebounder. He's always going to be a tradeable asset despite his sizable contract, and his abilities allow us some breathing room if we decide either Biedrins or Udoh to be expendable come draft time and our hearts are set on a star big man.

Many believe the Warriors should sell high now and trade Monta. I could go either way, but trading Monta could make the team significantly better, as I believe he's one of the more overvalued players in the league(not saying he's not good), and that's a recipe for improvement in the trade market.

Out of all the teams in the NBA I'd like to see the Warriors do business with, my pick would be Indiana.

I'm interested in these players.

Danny Granger

Paul George

Darren Collison

Roy Hibbert

Dhantay Jones

A.J. Price

Tyler Hansbrough

Although the Warriors would likely trade for Danny Granger, I'd like to see them take another angle if they did business with Indiana. Out of all the potential deals you could mix up involving any of these players, my proposal would be this:

Indiana Pacers get:    Monta Ellis / A      Reggie Williams / C      Brandan Wright / C

Golden State gets:     Paul George / B        Darren Collison / B -     James Posey / D+       Solomon Jones / F

Why the Pacers make this trade:

Darren Collison - He's not living up to the expectations fans had for him at the beginning of this season. His numbers are down and although it's relatively early in the season, and definitely in his career, they are clearly down on him right now in Indiana. A.J. Price is a young point guard and has been playing solid basketball. He's a scoring point. T.J. Ford is on the last year of his contract and knows how to run a team. With these two point guards including Monta Ellis, Indiana would still be relatively strong at the position without Collison.

Paul George -  I don't know if Indiana is higher on Granger or George, but they will likely look to trade one of them sooner than later. I liked George coming into the draft, and he's one of the very few available players I would've liked to see the Warriors draft. With Darren Collison clearly not equal to the value of Monta right now, I think Ellis pulls in enough fans and media attention on a winning team in the east coast, who has enough depth not to gut itself to acquire him. Ellis is the "star" that Collison may have convinced Pacers' management that he is not, and George is unproven to be.

James Posey - His production would not be missed, and the Warriors eating the extra year on his 7+ million dollar contract would make the Pacers happy this off-season.

-

Ellis - Pairing a scorer/ball-handler with another scorer/shooter in Granger might intrigue Indiana to make this deal. Mike Dunleavy and T.J. Ford are coming off the books for nearly 20 million. Adding a "star" like Monta and putting him with another explosive scorer in Granger could spike attendance and give the Pacers the marketability they've been missing for years now. With players like Ford, Ellis, Price, Rush, Jones, Williams and Granger, the Pacers have the option of playing a wide variety of ways in positions 1-3.

Reggie Williams - He adds to the depth behind Granger that they'd lose in Paul George. Williams, Rush, and Dunleavy are all capable of playing the wing positions.

Brandan Wright - Although unproven, he's clearly talented. With more physical bigs like Tyler Hansborough, Mount Hibbert, and Foster, Brandan could fit well as a mobile, athletic forward they could develop off the bench. The protection at the rim and length between Granger, Wright, and Hibbert 3-5 would be effective on the defensive end.

Why the Warriors make this trade:

Darren Collison - He could be a sixth man playing 24-30 minutes a night. We can bring out a very big starting line-up with Curry at point and George at the 2, and then Smart can slide Curry over to the off-guard position for extended stretches with Darren at the one while either George or D. Wright rests.

Collison is a good defender, which would help negate Curry being outmatched on that end, and he allows you to have two excellent passing guards on the perimeter. Although there hasn't been much experimentation with Curry as a shooting guard, I think he would excel offensively. His quickness off the ball, handling, pure shooting, and quick release would give him a devastating edge in most cases. Curry can get his shot any time.

Paul George - Perhaps I'm overestimating him, but he could very well turn out to be a player like Rudy Gay. To have the young core of Curry, George and Dorell Wright, almost all of them interchangeable at their respected positions, with another young player like Darren playing to that strength off the bench, would be a strong punch. What an amazing young mix of talent that would be.

James Posey - Good role player at filler minutes who gives you an edge defensively on the perimeter. His contract next year would hurt at 7 mil, but he comes off the books the same year we'd be obligated to renew Curry's contract. Contractually, he fits well in the Warriors' future plans.

Curry

George

Wright

Lee

Biedrins

-

Collison

Udoh

Posey

Law

Amundson

filler

filler

Do you like the team's commentators and analysts? Do you like the CSN staff? Who should Lacob fire and who should he keep?

Over the years, I've become fond of some of our current members. Some, not so much. Although they don't decide the outcome of any game, it still matters to those who are committed to watching/listening to 75+ games every year. Here are my personal grades and opinions, I'm curious to know yours. I hope Lacob does the right thing come decision time.

Jim Barnett - B

+'s

I have a lot of respect for Barnett and his observations of the game. He's an experienced student of the sport who offers insight and rarely distracts his focus from the task at hand. I particularly enjoy his anecdotes from his days with greats like Rick Barry and Bill Russell. Linguistically, he's always coherent, classy, and takes pride in thoroughly explaining a play so that it is understood without question. He doesn't make excuses for stupid plays and players. Overall, a very quality color commentator. 

-'s

My only complaint about Barnett's style is the obvious high esteem in which he holds himself. It's usually easy to overlook and almost understand, since he was a professional. But honestly, sometimes the "As I've said's", the search for the biggest possible word to use, the redundancies of his predictions throughout the game, and his badge flashing can get more than a little annoying. It's more of an amusing annoyance, as one can understand what comes with growing older and having a past in the spotlight. It's excusable, but keeps him from earning a solid A.

Replacement

At this point, I don't think it would be fair or necessary to abandon Barnett's services. Arguably, I'd be interested to hear Rick Barry's color commentating over Mr. Barnett's. I used to listen to Barry when he had a show on KNBR with Rod Brooks. He struggled on the show. He regularly pulled a rank and called many callers/listeners morons when they're opinion differed from his. But that's Rick, and more often than not, he was right.

Either way, he knows everything about the sport, good speaker, and he's the greatest player from the Warriors who is currently alive. I hang on every word he has to offer about a player. His zeal for the game and the way it should be played is both instructive and inspiring. There could be some chemistry issues if the play-by-play guy strays too often from his element, as Barry is not shy about offering correction, and is capable of being particularly brutal.

Bob Fitzgerald - F

+'s

Fitzgerald provides the  common lingo that is found amongst the majority of competent P-by-P commentators. He's quick with his words and he calls a clean game when he wants to. He does not lack emotion...

-'s

Where to begin....He tries to be a color guy. He's not. He should just call the game or shut his mouth. Let Barnett do the job he was hired to do. When he's finished, carry on calling the game. That is all.

His voice. I can't tolerate Bob's whiny delivery every time a player rises for a dunk worth 2 points. He squeals with the same excitement I'd expect from a 13-year-old fan boy who's room is pasted with James White posters. His lingering, little praises over circumstances within the game that are entirely irrelevant to it's outcome are pathetic, and can only contribute to making fans misinformed, thousands at a time.

His cowardice. Fitzgerald is a low character guy who has never asked a tough question, never stood up for what is "right" when giving his readily offered opinion about the team, and is constantly excusing unacceptability. Example: He always blasts Curry for the one-handed pass, (even though it's his timing/stubbornness that is the problem, not the delivery) but has he ever confronted Steph about it? Nope. Instead, he slithers his tongue as far up Curry's or any other player's backside with gleaming compliments that are only answered with a fake chuckle.

On his KNBR show, I've listened to him flush callers who've been waiting for hours to get a word in, before even finishing a sentence because they don't agree with his apologetic, yes-man crap. He's hung up on people who have essentially parroted some of the same things Steinmetz and Lacob have said, because he's too afraid to offer honest insight, and counter the only thing that has guaranteed his survival thus far: His undeterred commitment as one of the finest brown-nosers in sports history. How agreeable and convenient with an owner like Cohan, right?

He has no knowledge of the sport. I remember Bob's early career with the team. What he knows now, is what he's learned along the ride. The way he feeds off Barnett makes me ill. I appreciate Jim Barnett's silence when Fitz is making an ass out of himself. Notice Barnett's response when the team is down 20 and manages to put together a small run, and Bob blurts out, "THEY JUST WON"T GO AWAY!!!" ....silence..... Jim knows that Bob is a fool for rewarding the team for being in a bad position through playing bad basketball. Barnett does not mistake competitiveness for cutting a 20-point-lead to 10 when the game is already decided. Cold part about it is, I don't even think Bob does. That's just his lot in life as a gutless brown-noser, masquerading his unworthiness through fan boy homerism.

The patriotic tone Bob forms when the team is fighting it's way out of an ugly spell, reminds me of an overbearing, love-drunk mother who's narrating her druggy son limp his way out the rehab center, propel over his neglected children, and crawl to the nearest church with his palms out for bread and refuge. The climbing hope in his shrilly voice is so distasteful when he's mentioning a struggling player's stats, following him around the floor with a magnifying glass, and screaming with ecstasy every time he grabs an uncontested rebound, as if he's surely well on his way back to glory.

You can watch a play that is completely devoid of fundamentals and duty, and if it results in "MONTA ELLIS FLASHING TO THE BALL!!!" it should be considered a "good play" in the eyes of the average fan. It's just terrible for the understanding of the game.

Replacement

I'd like to see Greg Pappa team up with either Barnett or Barry. I love Pappa's call, and loved him on the radio before Tim Roye came to work. I''m not sure how his contract works out for the Raiders, but it would be a pleasure to have him back. He's the kind of guy who's been in the business, and can let analysts like Jim and possibly Barry, do what they do best without interference.

Tim Roye - B

+'s

Calls a close, tight game. I feel he offers genuine opinion when he strays from the play-by-play. Good radio voice.

-'s

Some of the things he says are kind of corny. "ELEVATION SENSATION!" is one of them. But pretty much, Roye does a good job describing a complicated movement and it's relation to other players on the court fairly accurately and in a short period of time. I think he's a good radio analyst.

Replacement

I like Roye where he stands.

Matt Steinmetz - A

+'s

Matt is the people's champ. To me, he became a figure during the whole Rowell/Mullin debacle, and did a fine job covering the Stephen Jackson situation. There's no lying in him, and he's very, very good at asking players/coaches/management tough questions. For a guy who shows his face a lot in front of the camera and has to interact a lot with whoever he's offering criticism to, I've got to respect him. He's played the game before at a fairly high level, not that it matters that much, but I respect the opinions of those who have experienced the marrow of the game, first hand. I may be biased towards Steinmetz because I really tend to agree with a lot of his assertions concerning the directions the team should move towards, regarding it's roster and style.

-'s

Some of his writing is really sub-par. At this point, he doesn't seem enthused enough about that area of his work, understandably so. I'd like to see him just focus on his telecast. Also, I've heard him rebuke guys like Fitzgerald and Radnich, but he didn't quite go for the killer blow. I loved that he put them in their place, because nobody ever does. I'm fairly confident he could put his foot on someone like Fitzie's neck and not ease off, once he's backed them into a corner, and get away with it. If he does that, I'd be happy to have him around for decades, being to the Warriors what Howard Cosell was to boxing.

Replacement

I'm a little curious to see how Steinmetz would do as a color analyst. I don't think it's his niche, but it would be fun to see him try.

Gary St. Jean -A

+'s

What a character. Just a lot of personality. I'm not sure if Gary, Steinmetz, and the lot of them work for CSN or the Warriors exclusively, but I'll grade them anyway.

I've met St. Jean on several occasions, as I have Barnett, Fitzgerald, and Pappa. He's really a genuinely good person. Maybe he's not much of a GM or a coach, but he understands the game, he's fun to talk and listen to, and you can tell he shares a true intimacy with the game. You've got to respect that. He's made horrible trades, signings, and draft choices, but he also drafted Jason, and everyone eventually deserves a fresh start. I blame Cohan for making him GM, more than I blame the Irishman for screwing it up. He gets me in the mood before the game, and he's not upsetting after a tough loss.

-'s

He reminds me of Santa Claus.

Replacement

I'm happy he replaced Nate Thurmond. Nate was a great talent, but come on, lighten up a little.

Henry Wofford - C-

+'s

Never stops smiling. Keeps the mood loose and agreeable.

-'s

Never stops smiling, often laughs for no reason, very plastic, sounds like Barney.

Jaymee Sire - B

+'s

She's extremely attractive for a chipmunk, gets to and past the point, knows a little about the game, doesn't pretend to be more than she is, respects the players, doesn't buy into flattery.

-'s

Although she does it less than she used to, she some times moves her mouth in a very annoying way without blinking and keeps a rigid neck. She looks like a ventriloquist's doll when she does that. I'm glad she's stepping away from that act, and becoming comfortable being a little more genuine.

Gary Radnich - F

+'s

None.

-'s

He's the kind of guy I hate. Undeniably a tool. Matt Steinmetz confronted him and asked him about his "False bravado". I loved it. Radnich thinks he's some kind of ring leader because he hasn't been fired for 20 years on KNBR. He never talks sports on his show, it's always meaningless trivia that has nothing to do with anything that matters in the sports world. He's a sexist who engages in talking about breast size when people are trying to call in and talk about the team.

When he's on the Warriors telecast, it's obvious he doesn't care about the team, nor does he even pretend to hide this fact. His brash arrogance suggests that he can talk about and say anything he wants to without consequence, and he is constantly brandishing this phony patriotism towards his peers, cutting them off in mid-sentence just to say something worthless that only he finds amusing. Seriously, does anybody like this ass? He may be the one person I can tolerate Fitzgerald over. Even listening to the Lacob interview, he was so condescending and rude at times. I sensed Lacob's annoyance by the time the show was over, and Lacob even kidded about it.

Replacement

A dead body. joke

Damon Andrews - B

+'s

He's affable and he let's the others speak. He actually listens instead of waiting for his turn, and he doesn't use the falsetto voice as much as he has in the past.

-'s

Some times he gets a little too goofy, and he changes everyone's nickname every show.

How would you grade the team?

ANDRIS BIEDRINS GONE FOR GOOD?

Andris Biedrins came into the league as an exceptionally young and relatively unknown basketball talent. His unfamiliarity with the hype culture that comes along with college stardom, as fans struggled to pronounce his name correctly, allowed Biedrins a somewhat innocent existence in his young career. There was only the competition, the game. His ascension to crowd favorite was predicated on his grit under the boards and his ability to make Baron Davis look good on the distributing end. 

Then he got paid, and everything changed. Being the conscientious kind of guy he appears to be, after the first 9 million dollar deposit, Andris had to look at himself and say, "Can I really be earning this kind of money? No. I need to do more. I need to become a complete player."

This is how Andris Biedrins was killed as an up-and-coming building block of the franchise. We remember the quotes two seasons ago after his off-season play in Europe, where he supposedly played aggressively on the offensive end: "This will be a breakout year, watch out", and "You will see a new Andris Biedrins." Is it a coincidence that these grand predictions came after his salary took an assuring, yet demanding 6 million dollar leap?

Dissimilar from the organization's wishes, It appears Andris couldn't go on living being a kicking one-trick pony with golden gloves. Call it guilt, conviction, whatever - He wasn't fulfilled being the player that he is, and the money changed him.

But hey, it's not his fault his abdomen got torn up and Nelson limped him through the 09-10 season. Excuses? The confidence he gained overseas, the bold predictions - They all prepared an abysmal nose dive into a momentous nightmare of a season. It followed; Nelson waltzed into lame duck territory, Monta wildly mocked the search for a team identity, Corey Maggette seemed to be an untradable one-way ticket into a reeking hell-hole of basketball poverty, and we had just traded Stephen Jackson for nothing.

Truth is, the fans were pillaging every town, searching under every rock and leaf for some poor soul waiting to be falsely accused for a catamite, that we could rip open and eat alive. We ate Andris Biedrins, and Don Nelson was more than happy to serve him up in every local newspaper and sports website available.

AB's misconception of his mortal duties as a ball player, the contract he was rewarded and is currently failing to earn, his unprotected injury that led to league-wide humiliation, and his crucial misfire of broken promises after seemingly becoming the most reliable producer on the team, completely dispelled Andris Biedrins overboard from our grace, into the water, and crashing against the waves. He may be too conscientious to ever recover and return on board. Our Bonnie lies over the bay, and he ain't coming back. How do you trade him? Should you now? Knowing that every passing gamed drops his stock? Or do you wait for his game to pick up and get an equal value?

Why we can't win consistently

It is said that inside scoring decides most games on the offensive end. Why is this? Isn't basketball a game of conversions and attempts all the same? What is the difference if you're shooting a good percentage?

Perimeter scoring is the quickest way to win or lose a game. It speeds up the game to breakneck speed, for better or worse. This step away from normalcy is what Don Nelson viewed as an advantage in the pace of the game, as most squads are not accustomed to keeping up with it. Defensively, it is a certain way to invite a quick death, especially if you're not a good defensive team that can make up for poor shot selections and the mistakes that are birthed with an enhanced offense.

Long shots turn into long misses that spur the break. Perimeter shooting is contagious either way, and it provokes unruly selections early on the clock. A "bad shot" can also be translated as an "unexpected shot". If the 4 teammates are expecting the ball to be shot in a situation, it is likely because it is a good one. If a bad shot is both unexpected from teammates and in essence of a low percentage, not only is there a good chance that it results in a long rebound to spur a fast break, but also a good chance that the 4 teammates are out of position, and unfit to recover to transition D.

This is why the Warriors so easily look like a beautiful team one quarter, and losers the next.

Without an inside game, we can only play at one speed. Even if you have one player on the team who can score inside, you can then control the pace of the game. Why? When you clear out the lane for a scorer on the block, that means that your teammates are now on the perimeter. This means that you will either convert the basket or not. If the shot is missed, there will be a short rebound, instead of a long one, and a chance the shooter can get a paw on it, delaying the transition fluidity, and your teammates are already near half-court, prepared to defend when the ball is collected.

Short rebounds that are collected by the defense leave the rebounder likened to that of a stationary quarterback. For a big man, it's a low percentage play to transform a short rebound into a successful scoring pass. However, the trajectory of the long rebound covers a lot of ground and the rebounder is now more likened to a wide receiver instead of a stationary passer, and in this scenario is usually a 1-3, a player easily capable of making an accurate, short scoring pass on the run.

As long as the Warriors continue this masquerade of reveling in their marksmanship, we will never win. It is folly.

ADDING CHRIS KAMAN TO AID DAVID LEE

There are few centers in the league who can score from mid-range like Chris Kaman. The same can be said of David Lee now, from his respected position. Both are also capable on the block, perhaps more so, Kaman.

The benefit of Lee and Kaman on offense is their ability to prove interchangeable in a high-low offensive set. Kaman can go high with Lee low, or Lee can go high with Kaman low. You can clear out and design a play for Kaman, and he can kick it back up top to Lee. Now, you have a passer/shooter who can create angles, while Chris remains a threat on the block. This would be a great situation for us, considering our shooting prowess. I would propose:

Clippers get: Lou Amundson, Brandan Wright, Dan Gadzuric

Warriors get: Chris Kaman, Brian Cook

Why the Clippers make this trade:

Chris Kaman averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds last year. He blocks shots. He was an All-Star. However, with Baron Davis earning 13 million over the next 3 years, and DeAndre Jordan recently playing so well with Griffin, as a young and valuable center, the Clippers would do well to keep their big man depth, while dumping Kaman's big contract. Blake Griffin completely changed the complexity of this team. Kaman is effective when he gets his share of touches every game. Unfortunately for the Chris/Blake duo, Griffin proves he needs his share of touches as well, looking like a future MVP candidate.

Jordan plays so well with Griffin, because he does not need to touch the ball at all. He has a great impact on the game through his shot-blocking, rebounding, and athleticism moving without the ball and finishing, when the double-team inevitably develops around BG. If they can keep Jordan at the starting center next to Blake, and allow him to grow there, they will need cap room to re-sign him after this season. He will earn a respectable contract. It is not considered a covetous position to have two centers earning 8-13 million/yr without enough time to go around.

If the Clippers make this trade, they can resign Jordan, keep their depth and youth in their front court (Amundson, Wright) and have enough money in the off-season to possibly tempt Carmelo or another big name player to come and play with Blake Griffin in arguably the most popular city in all the world.

Why the Warriors make this trade:

Inside scoring. Rebounding. Size. Interior Defense. This trade makes the small back court more excusable on the defensive end. Kaman and Udoh are absolute road blocks on the defensive end. We retain the rebounding Andris Biedrins would give us from that position. David Lee is relieved from the block and can play the top of the key where he can oversee the court with his passing ability and his shooting, which has really come along lately. Chris Kaman is 7-0, 270. He clogs the lane on defense and blocked 3 shots a game 3 seasons ago. Kaman averaged nearly 20 ppg last season and shot 75% from the foul line.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=1982

In summation, we add a legitimate low post threat, we maintain a 3-man big rotation, developing Udoh, Radmonavic and Cook playing filler minutes. Kaman is only under contract for 2 more years at 12m. After 2 years, Curry will be up for a new contract. Kaman will be coming off the books and we can either re-negotiate, or have the flexibility to look elsewhere if necessary.

PATCHING UP THE PERIMETER DEFENSE

I've mentioned before that the Warriors would do well to add one of the very best perimeter on-ball defenders in 25-year-old Trevor Ariza. I was thrown to the dogs, but anyway, here I go again.

Hornets get: Player X from Biedrins 3-way + Reggie Williams or Vlad Radmonavic + Reggie Williams

Warriors get: Trevor Ariza, Marcus Banks

Why Hornets make the trade:

With Chris Paul's off-season comments stirring emotion and panic in New Orleans, it's safe to say that he wants to be on a winning team. Granted, that's what the Hornets currently are, but are they a contender? Trading Trevor Ariza for expiring contract(s) would allow the team to free close to 20 million for the off-season. It would be a crucial time to consult with Paul and go after a player(s) that he would specifically want on the team. Carmelo sweepstakes? Paul and Carmelo would be much better suited than Carmelo and STAT in New York.

Ariza is slightly overpaid, and gives poor production on the offensive end. For Paul, an unselfish, pass-first point guard who revels in getting teammates involved, the Hornets should look to sign a big time scorer from the 2-3 position to get the most out of Paul's distributing talents. Ariza is not this player, and his somewhat hefty contract could be used to help the cause of obtaining a star to keep Paul in New Orleans. With Okafor earning over 10m, and West earning close to 10 mil as well, Ariza squeezes the Hornets in the free agent sweepstakes.

Why the Warriors make the trade:

Joe Lacob mentioned in recent interviews, "We need to improve our perimeter defense"...."We'd want to add a player who would be part of our future plans"...."There are a few good players we're looking at who are slightly overpaid, but could help the team win."

Trevor Ariza splits that bill. He is surely one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and a great open court player in transition.

Curry - Offense/Defense

Ellis - Offense/Defense

Ariza - Defense/Offense

Lee - Offense/Defense

Kaman - Defense/Offense*

-

Wright - Offense/Defense*

Law - Defense/Offense

Udoh - Defense/Offense

filler

filler

* = debatable

Having Ariza in the middle of a plethora of offensive weapons, is a great line-up to kick start the 1st quarter.

I like this line-up in the 2nd quarter when the game slows down:

Ellis

Ariza

Wright

Udoh

Kaman

All three perimeter players are solid defenders at those positions, great balance of inside-outside scoring, great size and defensive presence in the post, 2 on-ball scorers in Monta and Kaman, with Dorell's spot-up shooting off the ball and his distribution from the perimeter.

The flexibility Ariza brings with his defense and the inside presence and size of Kaman would allow the Warriors to play at virtually any tempo. They can slow it up and feed Kaman down low and play Lee off of him. Or they can decoy Kaman and play their perimeter style. Ellis' passing skills are continuing to sharpen, and having a player like Kaman available under the basket after the defense is forced to react, would be effective.

If Keith Smart really has the respect of his players, and these trades were to somehow happen, I'm confident that he could sell Ariza into focusing primarily on defense, transition scoring, and rebounding. Our team is so thirsty for the abilities he has on that end and some size to counter the problems the Monta/Curry tandem presents.

Thanks for reading this post.

Vladamir Radmonavic + Reggie Williams + Rodney Carney for Trevor Ariza + Sean Marks

Why this would be a good move for the Hornets

       With the recent dismay of Chris Paul, New Orleans' management should be searching for any possible way to acquire a star. Carmelo Anthony would be a perfect fit for the Hornets, and a running mate with Chris Paul. Obviously, Carmelo and Ariza play the same position, and at 6+ million a year over the next 4, it may run detriment in terms of acquiring a player like Anthony.

The prospect of Vlad's expiring erases the remaining years in Ariza's contract, and clears a roster spot for a big time scorer like Carmelo to fill in the starting line up. I can honestly say without prejudice to this trade scenario, that Carmelo is absolutely perfect for Chris Paul. Reggie WIlliams adds intrigue to this deal because he is not only an expiring contract as well, but his feet are big enough to fill Trevor's shoes, and he can man the 2 and the 3. This also allows Thornton to come off the bench in a 3 guard rotation, with Pargo receiving filler minutes. Carney would be included also as an expiring, to provide them with legitimate depth at the 3.

Having Reggie between Paul and Carmelo would make for one hell of a deadly scoring trio. Reggie is also a fairly good passer and can keep the ball moving on the perimeter.

Again, the main goal for the Hornets is to acquire a star so that Paul does follow the trend of looking elsewhere for wins. I'm not the biggest Melo fan, but Paul undoubtedly makes him a deadly, deadly scoring option. With Paul, Reggie, Carmelo, Thornton, Okafor locking down the post, and possibly resigning D. West as a pick and pop option, that's a title contender. Vladmir's + Peja's contracts coming off the books leaves the Hornets with over 20 million in cap room. If they choose not to resign West, it's close to 30 million. This trade completely opens the books for them to go out and prove to Paul that NO is home sweet home.

Why this would be a good move for the Warriors

I love Reggie Williams. I think he's really one of better scoring options on any team in the league. I actually would prefer not to trade him at all. I believe that Ariza is a better fit for this team for these reasons:

1. With our small back court, he maintains the length at the 3 position as a sixth man. They list Reggie at 6-6 but standing next to Curry or Ellis, he only seems to be about an inch taller. His length allows more effective help defense if Monta is having problems initially guarding his man.

2. He's a talented passer. He's an unselfish player, and moves effectively without the ball. Similar to D-Wright, he doesn't need to score to have an impact on the game, even though he is very capable. Subbing him in for Wright will not hurt our ball movement, as he is equally adept at seeing the floor and handling the ball. He is actually quite a similar player to Dorell in many ways.

3. He can effectively defend 3 positions. He is an absolute ball hawk - A better defender than Dorell. He causes a lot of turnovers every game. Having Curry, Ellis, and Ariza on the floor at the same time means menace. We're looking at 3 guys with the ability to be in the top 10 in steals, ladies and gentlemen. His on ball defense would be huge against the Kobe's and Durant's of the league. Keith Smart would become sexually aroused with the increased amount of ball deflections that this lineup would breed. Ariza is an elite defender by every implication of the title.

4. He's insanely athletic and fits the running style. His offensive game thrives in transition through his hawking defense. We truly maintain the blitzkrieg rush down the court. Ariza can spot up for three, he can run, he can pass, he can handle, and he can touch the rim with his head.

5. He's only 25 years old. Moving forward for the the next 4 seasons while he's under contract, he can grow with the team and legitimately be part of our core.

6. He takes care of the ball. With Andris and Lee gaining us a rebounding advantage, it is important to make the most out of these possessions by not turning the ball over. Ariza refrains from doing exactly this. He is an extremely good fit on both the defensive and offensive side.

Dan Gadzuric + Jeremy Lin + for Kirk Hinrich (Add Brandan Wright if necessary)

Matt Steinmetz recently gave an interview where he stated that the "Warriors need a player who can step in the game for either Ellis or Curry, and support their weaknesses with his own strengths."
One week  before this interview, I posted this very same trade idea and was shot down by a few posters, namely Naticus. I'd like to reiterate the idea, with all due respect to DubsDominate's recent post.

Why this benefits the Wizards

John Wall is a phenom. The Wizards would do well to gain some cap room and begin to put the pieces around him. Kirk will earn 9 million next season. With he and Arenas logging 40 minutes some nights, they would be able to afford to give up a piece like Hinrich for a back up guard, given the team can remain healthy. Clearing up 9 million for next season would enable them to fill in a crucial position like center or add a player like Danny Granger to the mix.

Lin seems like a pretty meaningless addition to this deal, but Washington's recent circumstances would suggest otherwise. It's clear that they're on an agenda to fix their image and create a consistent fan base. Lin is a 6-4 combo guard who could add fuel to this rehabilitation for an extremely reasonable price. He will not demand minutes, and he is another young player to add to their long list of prospects, led by ROY candidate John Wall.

If I were the Wizards, I would consider this deal without the addition of Brandan Wright. However, it is hard to get a feel for Washington's patience, in regards to how quickly they would like to begin to form a roster around Wall, as opposed to doing the safe thing, essentially wasting Hinrich for a year at the expense of another position, and putting him on the block as an expiring the following year. The Wizard's eagerness to create a positive team image would support the former. With that said, I would happily involve Brandan Wright in such trade talks, if it meant a finalizing handshake.

How this benefits the Warriors

These are some of the ways Kirk Hinrich helps our ball club:

1. We can afford to let Curry grow at a more comfortable pace as a sophomore point guard in this league. Stephen Curry is having trouble with namely two things right now: Keeping his man in front of him, and taking care of the basketball. Interestingly and ironically enough, these are Kirk Hinrich's biggest strengths. Matt Steinmetz recently gave an interview where he stated that the "Warriors need a player who can step in the game for either Ellis or Curry, and support their weaknesses with his own strengths." (I will provide a link below)

Offensively, Ellis doesn't appear to have many weaknesses at the moment. However, Hinrich fits well with him, too. While Ellis' strengths rely on slashing to the hole and pulling up from mid-range, Kirk's offensive strengths as a spot up shooter from the perimeter would provide Ellis with a passing option. Kirk has always been a premiere ball handler. Ellis can hand off the ball to him and move around screens, while Kirk has the ability to get anywhere on the perimeter through his handling ability and find the angles to put Ellis at an advantage.

2. Financially, this also works out for us. Curry will not require a pay day until Hinrich is off the books, and the addition of Trevor Ariza would essentially spell Vlade's contract. All of our key pieces are already under contract.

3. Trevor Ariza and Kirk Hinrich would improve our defense to an almost unimaginable level, compared to what it is now. Teams would have very little chance of consistently finding good shots, and no chance at extra possessions, with a early 2nd quarter line up that looked like this:

-

Hinrich

Ariza

D. Wright

Lee/Lou             

Biedrins/Udoh

-

If we can get ahead of teams early with Curry and Ellis' scoring, by the time they make the necessary coaching adjustment, we can insert Hinrich and Ariza in the game, while keeping one or both of our best rebounders on the floor. This will hold our spread advantage as our starters rest, while we maintain dominance on the glass. Hinrich protects the ball and is a veteran. He will not make the same silly mistakes Curry would. We can trust a lead in his hands while the starters are resting.

A few of Kirk's assist/turnover games this year so far:

12 to 2

6 to 1

8 to 0

4 to 0

9 to 1

2 to 6 (ouch!)

He won't take you out of a game with silly mistakes.

4. He's another coach's player/locker room guy. Watching Hinrich play defense is reminiscent of a miniature Jerry Sloan. He's got that grit and moxie that is hard to find in perimeter defenders. He plays every minute in your face, and it rubs off on teammates. If there's any player I want setting an example for Steph on that end of the floor, without question, it's Kirk Hinrich.

5. Kirk is a big guard at 6-4. He can guard the typical shooting guard effectively (6-4 to 6-6). With this understanding, it comes to mind that Stephen Curry averaged 30 points a game in college as a shooting guard. It also comes to mind that Andris and Lee are mobile, and set some of the best screens in the NBA. Steph's level of intelligence when it comes to knowing where to go on the floor and the proper way to come off a screen, is genius.

Kirk has been a point guard for a long time in this league and he knows how to deliver the ball. For measured stretches, we can get the most out of Curry's shooting ability by playing him off the ball. Accuracy increases when you don't have to put it on the floor. Curry is a playmaker, but not a natural point guard - Hinrich is. Stephen has never been a teammate to such a player during his short career. Shall we experiment?

In conclusion

These moves would make us into a lock-down, defensive team on the perimeter. Offensively, Kirk and Trevor's offense would more than make up for what we'd lose in Reggie (Respectively being the talented scorer that he is). If Udoh can become a defensive force, one-on-one in the post, our team could cause major problems.

Biedrins and Lee will shore up the rebounds, but our perimeter defense must first provide them with an abundance of missed FG's. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. These moves keep us strong offensively, enable our advantage on the glass through tough perimeter defense, and finally gives us a mixture of veteran leadership and youthful talent. In my opinion, you make these moves, and the construction of your roster is finished. The only thing left to do would be to manage the check books and draft wisely. We would defeat many teams with this group.

Matt "Money" Steinmetz link!: http://www.knbr.com/portals/3/podcasts/razormrt/1109steinmetz.mp3

Why Kirk Lacob was a good hire            

Punctuality was the key to Joe Lacob's genius with the installation of his son, as his first official move in the front office.  What larger stamp could he apply to his new franchise, other than that of his own son? His own name. The fact that it was done while the ink was still fresh on Joe's signature, creates the appearance of something that has been planned, prepared and intended. "Well, Kirk has no experience holding such a title, how could he possibly be prepared?"

There are 3 possible periods that Joe could have officially introduced his son to the franchise - Beginning, middle, and end.

Beginning - This was the correct time to make the introduction, and begin the education. Just as some fans suspected, Kirk is to have limited power, an extremely short leash, and total access to the central mechanism of the franchise. He will be on trains, airplanes, and taxis to catch games on the east side of the Danube, or the lower side of Manhattan. He will discuss philosophy with the gurus and master scouts who were hot on Isaiah's trail, before he joined Lambier and the rest of those bad boys. He will hear stories of the double crossings, the smiles and the backhands of the Cohan era. The freshness of it's residue will overwhelm him with such an unbearable stench, that he will forever be provided with the emphatic instruction of WHAT NOT TO DO.

He will sit and listen upon every word, crookedly smiling like a little drunken fool who took a sip while daddy wasn't looking, as Riley spills over some old stiff on the phone and gets an appointment with a GM he's been in "discussion" with for 8 months now, for serious trade talks regarding a piece of player who will "solidify our bench for a couple of years".... Wily Riley puts his hand over the mouthpiece, looks Junior straight in the eye and say's, "I meant championships, son. I'm bringing back a champion."  He will learn from the ground, all the way up to the cloud covered peak of every heavenly pinnacle, exactly what an NBA franchise is, and how it operates. And when the time comes for intimate discussions to pass regarding whether or not a player's earned a contract extension, Lacob can respond to the query, "What is he doing here?" with, "He's Director of Basketball Operations", instead of "Well....he's my son."

In the beginning, there was light. Let Kirk Lacob learn. Enlighten him. Leave no stone unturned, and perhaps within 25 or some odd years, the boy will become an owl, and a rock to our franchise - a foundation. So when the parade comes, and the keys are turned in by old, gray Joe, we will know his face. We will trust it. How bittersweet is change, when there is no change? I hope they win.

Middle - Let's say Lacob agrees with this notion and hires the best man available as Director of Basketball Operations, instead of Kirk. Let's take it a step further and say the Warriors find themselves deep in the 2nd round with 53 wins, along with some personal accolades, sell out crowds, etc.. The team is now successful. How then, would it look if Joe Lacob were to eventually fire this experienced, qualified, director on behalf of his son, despite his supposed success? Or shall we make up and assign titles as we go along?

How could Joe experience success, and then justifiably fire anybody who has earned a good name as part of that winning program? So that's what you do, Joe? You hire people to help you out, and then when they deliver, you toss em to the dogs and give their lunch to sonny? Is that how you treat people, Joe?

How about make the hire immediately, so that when you do experience success, it is immediately attributed to your group as a whole? We can not be worse than what we were. If this positive change is an inevitability, then the attribution of this positivity is thereby an inevitability as well, granting recognition to the entire organization. Even if Kirk never utters a whisper, his reputation as a "successful front office executive" would blossom around the league, with his name spelled heavy under the grand title. Did the Lakers' equipment manager earn hardware as well this year?

End - When Joe decides to hang the gloves, he releases this statement during his heralded departure, "And I leave the team to a man who I knew and loved as a boy, and who all of you know as a guy who has been part of this winning program since day one. (As he points to the 2014-2015 championship banner next to Rick's '75) We've been through the ups and we've been through the downs, but we came out on top... and I leave you today in very good hands with your new team owner, and my son, Kirk Lacob." Dad embraces the boy.

CHeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!! mischief...mayhem...soap.

Mr. Lacob planned well to avoid this reaction: "Who the hell is Kirk Lacob?! Sell the team please, instead of letting some silver spoon take over who doesn't even care about basketball." What a tarnish that would be. The initial reaction many fans had to Kirk's hiring would be both amplified and justified x 1,000,000 if Kirk came out of left field, unannounced, as the fan base scratched their heads and said, "Well damn...I didn't even know Joe had a son."

There is a responsibility that comes with inheriting a legacy. Who saw Pulp Fiction? Remember when Butch smashes the motel room because his girlfriend forget his father's gold watch? That watch is all he cared about, and why? It came from a respected legacy of warriors. I am proud that our owner is determined on making his son actually part of the team, rather than leaving him up to his own lifestyle, keeping him as an outsider, out of the limelight (since it's so cruel for celebs to do to their children, unggh!!) and then pushing the inheritance over to him, with no credibility to his name. This should not only push Kirk to possibly some day being a great owner, but to hold true to this legacy, and like most sons, thrive to best it.

How Riley Keeps His Job

      Riley reports to Lacob. Lacob makes the final decision. Many of us have discussed exactly what Riley's real value as a GM is, if Lacob is in fact calling the shots. It's a fair question. Sure, Lacob needs someone to work the phones, do the homeword, cross the T's and dot the I's, but how can a GM ever be a good or bad GM, if he has no final say in the decisions? Is the quality of Lacob's GM based on the man's ability to put together a sentence? Does the gift of gab and prowess of a true salesman match the criteria to be a Lacob underling? I'm not so sure.

A GM needs ideas. A GM needs vision. Larry has proven to have both. But these talents alone will not keep Riley protected, and unlike the Cohan days, he now has one more party to convince other than the GM on the other side of the telephone...and his name ain't Bobby Rowell. Joe undoubtedly lives and breathes the game. Every move, every gesture Riley makes, is under the judging and knowledgeable eye of the owner.

This is what Larry needs to do to not get fired. 1) He needs to discover a plan that will significantly improve what we already have. 2) He needs to make head way in communications to complete such a deal. 3) The Key: He needs Lacob to disagree with his plan. 4) He needs to have a 45 minute discussion with Lacob, and during this stretch of an hour, he needs to spit straight magic. He needs to sell the greatest piece of lyrical b-ball knowledge his 30 + years of experience can muster, and leave Lacob saying to himself, "Wow. Okay, I still need time to think about this, but it's looking good." 5) He needs to be right. He needs Lacob to disagree, to sell him, to make the deal, and then to win because of the deal.

Why is it important for Lacob to disagree? That's dumb. Why can't Lacob just agree in the first place, and then be impressed that they're on the same page?

Because his goal should be to separate his knowledge and his vision of the game from Lacob's abilities. He needs to prove that he is needed most dearly. Since Lacob is already "calling the shots", if Lacob merely agreed and could prematurely envision every move Riley makes, how does that make Larry Riley special? Why won't Lacob say, "Yeah, I thought of that one already, go ahead." Or, "Yes, Larry, I know that wouldn't be a good idea. We've discussed this before."

If he can bring Joe Lacob out of his comfort zone, and allow him to get a glimpse between the cracks at an even grander picture that Lacob wasn't capable of seeing, than that would be very, very impressive. No doubt in my mind, Riley keeps his job for awhile if he's got the moxie and intelligence to execute such a scenario. I think he does. If it happens, and Riley remains GM as the team experiences great success, Joe will enjoy reading articles about his "Magic Eye", and how he's kept around the "right people" and has given talent a "chance to grow." All things owners just love to read about themselves.

Bobby Rowell, The Immortal

      Much to the chagrin of Warrior fans, we are actually hearing what we thought to be the impossible. Robert Rowell may not get fired? Are you joking with me? What is the meaning of this? How is this possible? Despair.

Most of us want Rowell gone, plain and simple. From my gut feeling from what I've learned about Lacob, is that Rowell will either depart immediately and permanently, or he will be hired for an extended period of time.

Lacob is a very smart business man. He realizes that indecision suggests instability, instability suggests incompetence, and incompetence suggests distrust. The action will not remain in limbo for long. If Lacob fires Rowell now, the decision will be a great PR move. Even if Rowell did well for the organization financially, Lacob makes a winning statement by being "the people's champ", giving the fans what they want. That card is available if he indeed goes that route (which I hope he does) and if inquiring minds from Rowell's camp strike up enough nerve to demand an explanation.

If Riley does not punish Rowell with banishment, then he must reward him! If not, his decision would appear to lack the conviction that such a huge decision would entail, thus taking the more comfortable route of "let's wait and see if he continues to produce." Suggesting any uncertainty or lack of expertise, could leave any past or future actions subject to questioning. It is important to get it right the first time, and paint the illusion that you're 100% certain of your decisions. This is especially important during the early stage of laying out the foundation of a successful team. Leaders take pride in short evaluation processes... Let's hope this one goes our way.

I realize that such a proposal is a bit untimely given newfound positivity and energy Warrior fans are riding. But I believe we still have an opportunity to improve this team substantially before the beginning of the season. The Wizards acquired Hinrich from the Bulls for little to nothing. The Warriors are in need of a veteran decision maker to back up Curry, who is capable of blending into Smart's defensive style.

Hinrich, 27, is still considered one of the top-tier on ball defenders in the league from the point guard position. The Warriors already have Bell slated at the back up one, but I'm wary of his instincts manning such a crucial position. Kirk gives us passing, defense, and can be effective from the perimeter with Monta in the back court. He has the patience and aptitude of Aaron Miles, and the ball-hawking competitive spirit of Bell. I would propose Brandan Wright, Vladamir Radmonavic, and Charlie Bell, for Kirk Hinrich and Kevin Seraphin.

Brandan and Vlad are in the last years of their contracts, and Bell is more suitable for a role behind Wall and Arenas, who should gobble up most of the minutes at his position. Hinrich belongs in a bigger role. He truly anchors the defense and he is disciplined. Seraphin gives us a prospect in return for Wright, who could end up being a serious force. He is obviously years away from ever seeing the floor, but he gives us lasting quality from such a trade.

I'm a fan of Brandan's game, but I think we have a chance at significantly satisfying a weakness in our roster. Kirk can also play with Curry. At 6-4, he has the size and defensive toughness to guard the two spot. Hinrich is under contract for one more year worth 9 m. This trade would increase the depth of the Wizards' front court(something they need), it allows them to retain their cap flexibility, while replacing Hinrich with Bell, as Kirk deserves a bigger role and more minutes than he would earn on their roster assuming no one is injured.

       Players decide wins and losses. It's the coach's job is to put them in position to decide this fate. If they believe in him, if they love him, they'll go that extra mile, they'll play with a swagger. This is half the battle of coaching. Don Nelson sparked exactly this within Baron Davis. Once Davis got his hands on Jackson, the entire team was fueled by the passion and belief these two players had in their coach. Was it a coincidence that they happened to be the two best players on the team? I'm not so sure. 

A heady politician can keep a team happy, but once he's worn his welcome and sinks his  teeth in the hand that feeds him, the other hands offering food begin to disappear. Then it becomes hard to collectively get the very most out of your entire team. Players rely on other teammates to accentuate unique strengths and aspects within their game. If that player is disgruntled, unenthused, or simply benched because of personal reasons or distractions within the work, other players who have grown used to having that guy by their side during games, will suffer the loss of benefitting from that teammate. They will then have to disrupt their rhythm and jump through hoops to find other ways to be effective, and learn other teammates they're less familiar with and possibly, less effective with. 

Oddly enough, during Nelson's sorrowed departure, fans are grumbling about the upcoming harvest while we haven't even begun to sow the seeds. Many are hastily hung up on the fact that the beginning of our new legacy is marked by the installation of an "assistant guy". Interestingly enough, the last two seasons of of watching the "aw, shucks-face", that Nelson would sport in front of the cameras, post-game after his team was out-rebounded by 20, and outscored by the lowest ppg teams in all the league, was not enough to comfortably merit a friendly goodbye.

"Well when Smart took over those few games last year while Nellie was sick, I hated his rotations and he played this player more than he should've played that player, etc."

I don't know what Smart's got up his sleeve for this season, but I'd happily take that over what I Know Nelson has to offer - uninspired basketball bred from a recipe that has not produced, and possibly a player-coach fall out. I wish I did not have to bad mouth Nelson to deliver this point. He is not what you think he is. There are many vehicles on the road these days that are capable of driving you to the bowl game. You can roll through the savanna on a two wheel drive Toyota. But how will you survive through the jungle? Defense.  

Even if Nelson were the coach he was 10 years ago, (which he's no where close) if he didn't win a ring back then, then why would you want him establishing a culture under new management that has proved to be handicapped when competing for a division title, let alone a championship? 

I would happily take baby steps towards a lasting regime that embraced learning how to play defense, and taking pride in playing defense, under a defensive coach. I don't care if his name is Charlie Nobody! Just bring the truth. The offensive schemes, the race to the offensive half-court to catch them with their pants down, the shooting, passing, big men, the guard who rebounds as well as the center - They're all lies. Innovative, sure. But lies. 

Defense is the only truth.

Coach Smart, while not the most experienced, still has a more successful blueprint reflecting the longevity of success held by the elite teams around the league - teams with glorious history. They do not let you score. It's like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Nelson is the best knife in the world, but sooner than later, he's going to lose to a gun. Smart may hiccup or flinch during the battle, but he's still armed with a rifle, nonetheless. When Smart falls, somebody else, a sharpshooting veteran (Brian Shaw, Spolstra?), will pick up his rifle and continue the fight to the future. If Nelson stays for another year, no matter who is taking over, they're still picking up a knife and walking into a gunfight. We don't need that. We need our young, talented players to learn properly about how the game should be played, and why it's played that way. They will then know the truth, and pass it on to their chillens, draft picks and such... 

Never mind Keith Smart's step-in for Nelson last season. You'd be foolish to believe that Smart did not discuss guidelines with Nelson before the game. You'd know nothing at all about Keith Smart as a man if you thought he didn't insist on taking orders from the head coach under contract, before each and every one of those games.

There are bigger fish to fry and less excusable offenses than the outcome of Smart's short stint last year.

Was Nelson always right for benching Wright? How about refusing to let Randolph play through his mistakes during an injury plagued season that instantly shouted pending doom from every pitiful orifice of our depleted and feuding team before we even tipped the ball off?

Why did he publicly blast his player, somebody he's absolutely depended on to rebound the ball and start his beloved offense, when he knew that player was hurt and losing confidence?

Why did he allow Ellis to run rampant, and arrogantly shoot the ball 30 times without benching him?

Why the heck did Nelson not stand up to Rowell and say, "You fire him, I'm out." And save our team some freaking respect around the league? What? Did you think that'd look good in the eyes of potential free agents who were shaking their heads at the sheer shadiness of our FO? They shook their heads because they knew exactly who Chris Mullin is. Nobody knows who the hell Robert Rowell is (or was, I guess I should say). And nobody should freaking care.

 Back to the Biedrins situation, how would the two men have come to terms and operated come training camp? Would the lyrically acclaimed Nellie welcome the three-point lacking Biedrins with open arms, pluck him from the doghouse, ask him how the surgery went with his arm wrapped around his neck and sweep the ghosts of Christmas' past under the rug? Was not going to happen. 

Andris Biedrins is our center; our only center. If one can not identify the need for such a player, and is willing to turn a blind eye to the negative way Nelson is capable of impacting young players and spurring untimely trades, then you don't understand the inner dynamics of the game past the ball going through the net. I understand many fans here did not know the Warriors before the "We Believe" era - another thing people attribute more to Nelson, than Mullin - the man responsible for both the Baron and Jackson/Harrington trades (and Nelson, himself, for that matter). I understand that the team's success during this time may have sentimentally tied you to Don Nelson, as it was your first true experience with the team, and a good one. 

But what about the others? What about the ones who watched Nellie break up Run TMC for Billy - O? What about the time Chris Webber was traded for what amounted to nothing, along with our future 1st round draft picks and not to mention Penny Hardaway?

Understand that while you may enjoy the game of basketball, and your newfound allegiance to this team is most intriguing to you, there are many of us who have been around long enough to know that Nelson is capable of doing some serious, serious sabotage in a very small amount of time. We've lived through it, and with a heavy heart I tell you, it's just not worth it. My amigo for life, thick-n-thin, it's not worth it at all.

Lacob is smart, and Smart is saving you from years of heartache that I know all too well - From having to cry after reading an article titled, "Jason Caffey the destroyer", and shaking my head and pissing on my new shoes after listening to Fitzgerald rave about Sam Jacobson being a future asset to the team, because he was a white guy who could catch an alley-oop - I advise you to look to the future, cause the past is all behind you. 

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Ekpe Udoh          

Adonal Foyle was not a great big man. Although he lacked the flash and the outrageous scoring ability some of his peers at the time possessed, he'd often put us in a position to win late in games, when he'd come up with a big defensive play. Correction: He often would've put us in a position to win late in the game if our team would've been good enough to be in the game during the 4th qtr to begin with on a regular basis.

Foyle was possibly the most defensively clutch shot-blocker I've ever seen on the Warriors. His only problem: He was a Golden State Warrior. Adonal Foyle didn't go unnoticed during his career with the Warriors because of his lack of PPG and flash, he went unnoticed because what he did late in games rarely mattered.

Our rosters were unacceptably bad during his tenure here. Not only did the Warriors have bad teams during those years, but they were exceptionally horrific when it came to crunch time and deciding games in the 4th quarter. What good is a clutch block, or a clutch contested shot without a foul and the defensive rebound, if the spread is 10+ points with 2 minutes remaining? Now, put Foyle on the Lakers, Jazz, Blazers, etc. during his prime, and those big time stops with 3 minutes to go with his team leading by 1-point seem to matter much more. Now he has players like Stockton collecting his handiwork and feeding it over to Malone. He'd have guys like Kevin Johnson scooping up the loose ball and firing it up to Thunder Dan Majerle for the game winning two + the foul. 

Foyle could've been a face on any winning franchise. Players like him do not matter on losing teams. He's like that mother that provided every opportunity for their child to succeed while they slacked it off and bought drugs. 

Ekpe Udoh can be for Lacob, what Foyle was for Cohan. Except this time around, he will matter because we will have a winning team to benefit from his hustled generosities. His big time stops will not be mistaken for small time stops, trying to pick up the pieces from a 20 point blowout spread. He will grant opportunities for this young roster to figure out what it takes to put together an offensive play in the clutch and deliver it with extreme prejudice. 

Character guy? Who cares?

Foyle was largely considered to be one of the NBA's nicest and most passionate players. This is no small deed. When the game is on the line, this kind of passion translates towards your ability to focus on the game and zero-in on the play. Focus is the key to being an impact player on the Defensive end.

"Character guys" get better as the game goes along, rather than getting worse. Why? Because they don't allow the mishaps of their involvement early in the game to dictate what they're capable of doing later on, when the team needs them to execute. And mishaps are bound to happen to everybody. A player like J.R. Smith - Misses his first three jump shots in the game, and he'll easily become a non-entity when it matters the most. 

One thing we know about Ekpe, if not his unproven skills, is that we can rely on him to execute to the best of his ability late in games. He will always be prepared. Championship teams need a character guy who thrives in a role position on a roster with multi-faceted players with skills that complement his own. While Andris Biedrins plays well off of teammates in the post who have more natural scoring ability (Lee), Udoh shares the same complementary talents to Brandan Wright, in the 2nd string. 

Many are not thrilled to have Ekpe Udoh on the team for various reasons that are not far beyond reasonable complaint. I believe Udoh's shot-blocking ability will migrate effectively to the professional level.  He's not just a big, strong body - An attribute that can inflate many big men's shot blocking numbers on the collegiate level. To quote a professional scout:

Nicknamed "The Nightmare" for his demonic shot blocking prowess (3.7 per game as junior) ... Views swatting shots as an art form - always taking proper angles, never leaving his feet until his opponent does, can block shots with either hand and keeps balls in play. Exhibits solid agility on the perimeter, able to stay in front of quicker guards on pick and roll switches ... Moves his feet well and lateral quickness is much improved.  - Adam Ganeles

Translation to the pro's

Marcus Camby recorded 4 bpg his senior year at Umass. His rookie season, his numbers dropped to 2.5 bgp per 36. However, the following season he climbed back up to 4.1 bpg, while logging virtually the same amount of minutes at 31 mpg. Although Camby was a great shot blocker at Umass, his athleticism and tenacious nature allowed these skills to carry over to the next level, rather than just being a big body that could overrule most college aggressors.

Ike Diogu averaged just over 2 bpg with the Sun Devils. Physically, he was a monster. He rebounded everything, and his physical strength plus his length, allowed him to control lesser opponents. His 2 Bpg was not a result of his understanding of the art. When he came to the NBA, he played in 69 games for the Warriors, where he averaged 1 bpg per 36 minutes. He has never established himself defensively, or in any such way since.

We do not need a Turiaf kind of shot swatter. We need a center who goes after shots with the intention to change them, to control them. As long as they miss the shot we can breathe easy, now that we have collectors like David Lee, Andris Biedrins, Louis Amundson, and even Dorell Wright around the basket. With a 7'5 wingspan and lateral quickness, Udoh has the immense range we need from a shot blocker, to lock in on guys from distances that were foreign to Warrior big men of the past.

1-on-1 in the post

Udoh recorded a standing vertical at 31".  The ability to get up without stepping is not a common strength among big men, and it is to a shot blocker what a 3-point shot is to a guard. When Udoh's opponent decides to make his move, he will likely attempt to disable Udoh's balance with a shoulder bump, crossover step, spin, etc. Even though Udoh may be off-balance and on his heels after this occurs, he still has the ability to get up without stepping, the reach, and the sense of timing to challenge the shot, (even off his heels) with effectiveness. 

If David Lee and co. were not on the team, and we had a player in his stead who was not much of a rebounding force, Udoh's value as a defensive shot-hunter would decrease, as our ability to collect the rebound/blocked shot would as well.

Louis Amundson

David Lee and Louis Amundson create the most physical two man power forward tandem in the league, and will wear down opponents at that position on a nightly basis. Teams will no longer "look forward" to playing the Golden State Warriors. While Lee sits down after beating up his man, Louis will step in after the tag, and continue to pummel Lee's opponent for positioning, for rebounds, checking, and dishing out hard fouls. Most teams have a finesse scorer in the post who does not like to be muscled around, followed by a back up guy who can do the grunt work.

The Warriors retain their physicality at the position from both their starter, and their back up for 48 minutes. The star power forwards will not walk away from the night without their share of bruises and beaten bones. Lee and Louis can wear down interior players, and soften up the inside defenses late in the game, opening up the lane for guys like Ellis and Williams to take advantage. Put Udoh on whoever Lee and Louis were lickin' on, and you're looking at a tired, beaten up, scoring 4 (someone the opposing team depends on to deliver down the stretch) looking to convert against our defensive specialist. 

Louis brings us a piece of player who is essential for all winning teams. The Warriors have always lacked a gear that other teams possess - a gear that adds velocity towards gaining the win. While others have sped up, our Warriors have repeatedly slowed down. Collapsed.

Assets such as a Turiaf, Amundson,  Birdman,  Humphries,  Blair,  Millsap, Artest - these are players that decide the game when placed on roster with good, to very good players. In other words, In of themselves, these are guys who will not stand out (Artest possibly being the exception) on a bad team. However,  put this kind of player on a good team, and they can be the deciding factor when superb skills meet superb skills face to face, and it becomes a dogfight of pure will. This is why Louis Amundson will be appreciated this year from a fan base who has largely never experienced a winning roster in the Bay Area, and has similarly not experienced how such a player correlates so directly to wins. His late-game blocks, his last-second tip ins, his unrelenting battle for position in the post with the opposing team's star, frustrating him to commit a silly foul that sits him the majority of the 3rd, allowing our team the comeback and win, etc... It'll be like Barnesy's back in town. 

 My only advice to Amundson is this: If Monta comes out like the Guns of the Navarone, follow that leprechaun to the hoop, because there is a pot of gold waiting for you at the end of that rainbow. Expect to see Louis clean up a lot of messes this year.

I apologize if this is too long for most people to read. I've been away for awhile and I've had a lot to say. Also, I did not mean to be snide when mentioning my tenure as a fan, I just wanted to make the point about knowing Nelson, rather than sticking my nose to the air. Thanks a lot for your time. 

       Mike D'Antoni is a coach who loves to run. There is nothing closer to such a coach's heart, than a big man who can rebound and make the outlet pass - the birth of the fast break; a play that brings such beauty and magnificence to the game, hence the overwhelming "loyalty" of the Warrior fan base. David Lee is a player who can grant such a fantasy. Is this why Coach D played Lee out of position at center, while his team rotted defensively? All signs point to yes. Surely, Mike should have recognized the handicap he was assigning himself, by weakening probably the most essential defensive position in the sport, right? Wrong. If offense is a coach's livelihood, he will exterminate any plausible reasoning concerning defense, if it comes between he and his beloved, his pride - the offense.

      Don Nelson is a running coach. He is now bestowed the gift of such a (Center?) power forward in David Lee. How will he use David? Interestingly enough, there was yet another gift presented in (power forward?) small forward Dorell Wright. Dorell is a player who is 6-9, which indirectly translates to some coaches, as "capable of playing power forward", due to his length. Wright is an excellent rebounder - another reason to justify hastily thrusting him out of position . He is very good at making solid interior passes, and he has a jump shot. This means that he can be an effective player out of the post, and allow a scorer like Lee the space to do his handiwork. In theory, he and Lee are ideal teammates at these positions, within a run-and-gun offense.

Where does this leave Andris Biedrins?

A fine question, indeed. Not only does Biedrins remain a Warrior, but remains so while being a "disgruntled" player who has clearly shown a distaste for Coach Nelson. If Biedrins by some chance wasn't in Nelson's doghouse then, he surely is now after publicly voicing disgust. Of course Don Nelson would laugh that off if you asked him about it. But Andris is in clear and present danger of becoming a bench player, logging well under 28 minutes a game. Why? Not only does this allow Nelson to play Lee at center to orchestrate the break, not only does it allow him to use Dorell as a point forward 4, spreading the court with his shot, but it also enables him the famous "Nellie 3-guard lineup", in Curry, Ellis, and Williams playing 1-3.

Andris Biedrins, a fiery player who's production is fueled by energy and movement, would not resemble his true self in this situation. His production would plummet, poorly reflecting on his big contract, and his discontent may even allow players like Gadzuric or Radmonavic to see more time on the court. This can be a recipe for disaster, as we'd be put in a position where we'd be lucky to receive an expiring contract for him, as Nelson has more creditability in the eyes of the league, than an Andris Biedrins. The problem will not be attributed to Nelson, when objectively valuing Biedrins' talents as a player. His performances would be uninspired, hindering us from making advantageous adjustments, and he'd spiral further down the rabbit hole.

Monta Ellis

Don Nelson allowed Monta Ellis to run rampant last season. In all likelihood, he asked him to. If Ellis does not change his approach, regardless of the improvement of Curry or the acquisition of Lee, how effective would Nelson really be in influencing Ellis to turn in his badge? Wouldn't that be a bit hypocritical in Ellis' eyes? How can Nelson effectively communicate, "I know last season I said you were our best player and I put the ball in your hands in virtually every situation, but just simmer down. We've got better players than you this time around." I don't know if that kind of respect exists between these two men. My guess is, it doesn't.

Keith Smart

I once went to the Warriors HQ downtown, to sit in for a job interview. I was told by the clerk to have a seat and wait about 10 minutes. I could hear the Warriors practicing behind the big twin doors that led into the facility. It was around this time when Keith Smart came strolled into the room and greeted everybody in the office by name. He looked at me without recognition, and extended his hand, grinning. "How you doin young fella? I'm Keith Smart." I shook his hand and said, "I know who you are!". He asked me if I was waiting for an interview and then asked me if I was nervous. I said I was. He told me I had nothing to worry about and to just stay calm and be myself. He gave me a quick pat and a wink and said, "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around young man, catch you later". Then he said goodbye to everybody again as he walked out.

I don't think he is the kind of man who would scoff at the idea of leading the team under the new ownership for one year, as an interim coach. He's humble. I can't imagine Smart saying, "No, I want a full ride because I deserve it." At the same time, I don't see Lacob as doing him any disservice by giving him a shot at coaching a team that is destined to win many more games than it did the previous year. Either way, Smart would come out of this smelling like a rose. He should not have a difficult time eventually finding another HC job, if not immediately, and during his tenure, Lacob can observe the roster and make some phone calls in search of "our guy".

Keith Smart is known for his defense. If you want to play good, consistent defense, you have to play a conventional line-up. This returns us to the prospect of our initial desired line up of:

Curry

Ellis

Wright

Lee

Biedrins

-

Williams

Wright

Lin

Carney

Whomever

Players win games, not coaches. All the coaches need to do, is put the players in position to do so. Regardless of Don Nelson's experience and knowledge, Smart can do a better job of this, hence allowing us more wins. I think given the natural chemistry of our team, in relation to how they play individually, Smart will have to do less coordinating on offense, and can focus more on teaching them to improve defensively - actually holding players accountable.

In conclusion, here are my reasons why I think Smart will help us if he took over.

How he helps

1. He is young and energetic. His vitality will bring these players together. He has the energy to run 3 hour practices and watch film. Nelson would not do this.

2. The players know him. When you're a head coach, it's tough to get all the players to buy into your philosophy. Being familiar and liked by half the team, should give him an edge towards converting newcomers.

3. He is more inclined to play a traditional style. With a more traditional roster now, it's time we take a step away from small ball, and move towards playing conventionally. He must do this with his lineups if he plans to be effective defensively - something his style dictates.

4. Lacob will likely sign him for a cheap, 1-2 year contract, softening the blow of unloading Nelson's contract.

5. When Smart is done, there will be less to no pressure of keeping him around because he's a great assistant and does his job thoroughly. He should have gained enough glory from running the improvement of the team, and he could go elsewhere and set up his own staff, rather than simply staying here and stepping back down to his assistant position. Lacob can then pick a coach who can come in and bring his own staff of assistants with him, instead of making Lacob look like a bad guy for inevitably being in the position to fire Keith Smart, as the new head coach will likely prefer his own minions.

6. Politically, it gains Lacob reputation for being a generous and loyal owner. Not only will this bode well for Smart, but the insiders will talk amongst themselves to other players, and once this accumulated word gets out come free agency time, players will consider such talk when Lacob comes a knocking at their door with a blank dotted line. He needs to build his image into a positive one. This move helps.

 How he can hurt us

1. Smart is inexperienced. There is some concern about the kind rotations and timely substitutions he's made. He was working under the influence of Nelson before, but it would be interesting to see how he would proceed on his own.

2. Does he know how to design effective plays to take what the defense gives him? Personally, I'm not too worried about this. If he can run an open offense, if he can allow players to man their natural positions, he'll be fine. Stephen Curry is a floor general, and when you have a player who knows how to generate the offense on his own, a coach becomes less and less important in his direction. Just give them the blueprint(which even I could do) and allow Curry to make the decisions.

CSN reports that Louis Amundson is within a week of making his final decision, with the Warriors being the frontrunner on his list. This could be great news for us. Amundson is not a center, but he provides the team with defense and hustle. Also, the Warriors will find themselves in good position to make a trade around the all-star break, with two large expiring contracts. Fortunately, that should be the time when Udoh will be cleared to play. I'm not saying we should trade Amundson or Udoh before the deadline if we do in fact land Louis, but it gives our team much flexibility during that period, and either one of those guys could improve negotiations involving a player like Ellis. 

My earliest memory as a Warrior fan was...

When I was a kid, I remember my dad laying down in front of the T.V. on our big blue carpet sipping a beer, watching the game. I used to bull rush him head first, with a non-stop assault. He was a good sport, and would just stiff arm me in the face until I'd be too tired to get back up. When I was about 6 or 7, I actually started watching the games with him instead of being an annoying little prat. 

Any of you remember Byron Houston? Rony Seikaly? It was a game with the Warriors vs. the Heat, and things were starting to get physical on the court. Seikaly and Houston went hard for a loose ball, and ended up crashing around mid-court, both of them going down in a heap with the ball bouncing out of bounds. The whistle blew and teammates gathered around to collect them off the court. They laid there all tangled up, with Houston's leg resting on top of Seikaly's foot. Seikaly didn't like that. He kicked off Houston's leg with a little sneer, and Byron jumped to his feet in a flash and flinched at Seikaly like he was about to jump on him, haha. Rony immediately flattened back down on the court and put up his foot for protection and covered his face with both hands, giving the universal implication to the sound, "UNNNGGHHH!". My father and I pointed at the screen, laughing.

In the replay, the camera angle showed Sprewell's expression in the background, at first concerned a fight was going to break out, and then a slow transformation to a grin with the slo-mo camera. Nellie was in background too, sitting on the bench with that crooked, reversed smirk on his face, rolling his eyes. That was my first memory as a fan. I think I was seven years old.

Your earliest memory as a fan was... 

     In 2006, the Denver Nuggets rewarded a notoriously one dimensional player in Reggie Evans (when he was the same age as Lee), a contract that earned him 5 million dollars as a 10th man last season. A bit expensive for a 6-8 player who only rebounds the ball, right? Although he has recently fell from the Raptor's grace, at the time he was considered an asset worth nearly half of what our starting power forward is making now. Focusing on the fact that he is a tremendously flawed player in virtually every category besides rebounding, was his exclusive ability reason enough to merit such a respectable contract?

It was painfully illustrated last year how losses correlate to incompetent big men on the glass. Even in the event of when the team picks up their defensive assignments, if the opposing team matches up better in the rebounding battle on a nightly basis, when does good defense begin to matter? How many times did you want to empty your beer on your head after watching 22 seconds of effort on defense, only to see our players miss the collection and still suffer the two points? If you're willing to make a deal to support the same disease of Nellie ball, by bringing in a "superstar scorer", minus a prolific rebounder, then I don't know how you feel about losing.

David Lee and Andris Biedrins will not allow consecutive losses. Consistency rules this out in all likelihood, by extracting logic from a simple and original, golden rule - Dominate the glass, win the game. If you have 2 players at the most crucial rebounding positions on the floor who deliver 10+ pulls a game, for a season, you're playing the percentages in a mighty fine way - An intelligible way. If you're playing a scorer who demands 40 minutes/25-30 shots a night, (while sitting a more efficient and unselfish scorer) you're counting on his demand of the ball + efficiency to fall perfectly into motion with what the rest of the team is trying to get accomplished on offense. Not only does this disrupt team flow and make it more of an individual performance, but you're relying heavily on a player, rather than a team, to win or lose the game for you. You're disallowing your best scorer and decision maker in Stephen Curry, to score and make decisions. This is when rebounding actually becomes less important, comparatively. Because now, regardless of how many possessions you earn, you're still depending on the hot/cold nature of your superstar scorer, tipping the average of touches on offense towards one player, subtracting value from the rebound.

However, you get a couple of very effective rebounders at the 4/5 spots, and then pair them with efficient scorers, teams are looking straight down the barrel of a high caliber pistol for the most of 82 games.

In a sense, David Lee is one of the best offensive players in the league. What good is a Ferrari, if somebody takes away the keys? In a game of sequence, an offensive possession begins with the rebound. David Lee is equally adept at beginning and ending this crucial sequence, consistently. This makes him invaluable as an offensive weapon, in every sense of the word. Right, well what about his defense? He is not a shot blocker. However, he's not a bad defender in the post, as in his footwork, his strength to hold position, his ability to neutralize an opponent's positioning for rebounds, his durability (81 games last year), and lastly, his will to confiscate the ball via the defensive glass.

Naturally, he was unmatched last year playing at center. Personally, I'm amazed he played in 81 games at that position, going up against men who were significantly bigger. This gives me confidence that he will improve his reputation on the defensive end, as he becomes refreshed towards facing more natural opponents.

Remember when Baron signed with the Clippers? Do you remember Monta Ellis' comments? Clearly, Monta was not as open to just coming straight out and saying, "I'm Monta da boss", as he was playing like it was his team, stepping way out of his boundaries to fill that void.

Why didn't he do this when Baron was on the team? Surely, he could have dominated the ball more and passed less when he was scoring at a higher rate? There was nothing left to the subconscious when Baron brought the ball up the court and called out the plays, directing traffic with his finger and glowering over his shoulder at players who fell out of position. The trade for David Lee returns this same dynamic to the Warriors' franchise.

Not only does the improvement of Curry help make roles more apparent, but the extreme reversal of having a player like Randolph who was more likened to a chicken minus a head on the court, to now a star veteran big man, and student of the game in Lee, helps on an even greater level. I've seen Lee get into teammate's faces. He's a confrontational guy as it is, and with the ink still fresh on his contract, and with the status of an all-star, he's unofficially "the Man" amongst the surrounding eyes within the locker room. He's not uncle Cliffy, but at this point, his experience and accomplishments remain unmatched, and that's going to make Curry's transition to leader much simpler. Who will voice objection to both of these players? Coincidentally, they've clearly made strides towards strengthening that unity over the summer.

Team chemistry is born when the team leaders buy into the coach's philosophy, and act on their own as assistants. This was simply not possible with Don Nelson on board, Ellis running the show, and hopes of Randolph quickly maturing and developing into the leader and player David Lee is today. Lee is not Tom Gugliotta, and Anthony Randolph is not Chris Webber. I have yet to see a roster with potential win as many games as a roster with players capable of production. It's obvious what Monta must do to be productive. Would Anthony Randolph's presence on the court provoke this change as greatly as David Lee's? By creating an environment with less to overcome, we are a step closer towards being successful. The AR, Lee trade accomplished this.

Andris Biedrins

Every time Lee touches the ball, Andris Biedrins will not touch the ball. We can agree that with players like Curry and Ellis on the floor at the same time, who also demand touches that will subtract from Lee's, it will often be the case that Andris will not have the ball. What does this mean? We must rely on Biedrins to be extremely effective off the ball. The good news - He already is. To parrot myself, Andris Biedrins is the best complementary center in the league. He accentuates an offensive power forwards production by A) creating possessions through rebounding, thus opportunities for the scoring PF to execute B) He does not take away possessions from the PF C) He his smart and agile enough to set picks on the perimeter, spreading the defense for the PF D) He will catch and finish anything the PF gives him, once he runs into trouble (double-team, namely)

Letter D, invokes a point about David Lee's passing that should not go unnoticed. How many PF's in the league score over 20ppg and are willing passers like Lee? How many of them exist? Lee and Biedrins are a perfect pair. Add Dorell Wright to that mix, and your base of the triangle on the high block is D Wright (point A) and David Lee (point B) with Andris at the point of your triangle under the hoop at point C. You have two lengthy passers on the high block, and a catch and finish center at the goal. This means all three of your front court players are in a natural position to play significantly better off of one another. They just need to come together.

Again, Larry Riley deserves a job. It was his idea to bring Lee and Wright on board, and Biedrins remains a Warrior. I see Riley's vision, and he is truly a basketball mind. Lacob would do well to keep him around. I'd love to see how he evolves the rest of the roster with all the tools he has to work with. Biedrins is an invaluable piece to this franchise and should not be traded until proven otherwise. I truly believe this team will win 44 games or more.

An interesting dynamic that has been thoroughly discussed here, has been the responsibility of Ellis accepting a new role and allowing the offense to run through Stephen Curry. Still, a few actually believe that Ellis is our best player, an inimitable one. 

After listening to Lacob, I've gathered that he is correct in his assertion when he says, "It's not going to happen overnight." Sound rationale, both fundamentally and strategically. When he's saying "It", I believe he's referring to the roster, largely implying Ellis as the object of this consideration. Yes, now is not the best time to trade him, if he is in fact destined to be placed on the block. Aside from the weenies who still can't grasp the cold fact that two points is two points, the suits in the front office know how to truly evaluate a player like Ellis in relation to a winning roster. 

How many times have the Warriors fallen victim to impatience? Will they continue to support the same pathology of trading away talent for lesser players and pipe dreams of the free agency period? Patience is a virtue that resonates in Lacob's understanding of the game and how to manage players. He has said all the right things.

A series of perfect misfortune was the prequel to Ellis' latest display of incompetence as the leader of an inadequate roster. From the Baron Davis misfire and the Harrington trade, all the way to the cocaine-fueled rush to find the quickest fix in town(Corey, not Haim), Ellis was rebuked and wore the mask of a scapegoat to redirect the fury that justifiably should have fell upon men like Robert Rowell and Don Nelson. I think this is recognized by the team's new owner.

Under the perception of how Ellis must properly negotiate his new role on the team, there is nothing more appropriate than Stephen Curry playing in the tournament during the off-season. Why?

Basketball is a game of rhythm and repetition. While many fans were understandably worried about Curry possibly suffering injury, there is no question that this is absolutely, positively the best thing to happen to the team, politically. While the rest of the squad is working out individually at home, or in the facility, Curry is being recognized every day by going head to head against the NBA's best. He has not missed a beat, sharpening his tools against the elite of the elite in an environment with absolutely no distractions. On his off days, he is sitting on the bench for the majority of games, watching the best competition in the world from new eyes, from a student's perspective, participating during the end of quarters to cap off his cultured education. He is an olympian. Warriors fans know this, Warriors' management knows this, the entire world does. 

In essence, this leaves even less room for discussion over who will be the leader of our team. Positionally and reputedly, Stephen Curry has cemented his role as the face of the franchise, and coming into training camp, there will be no confusion about assigning roles. Aside from the reputation and image Curry is creating for himself, his skills have undoubtedly improved, and he should be the best player in camp, noticeably enough.

This contributes greatly towards creating an atmosphere with "no excuses" for players like Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins. No longer is there Corey Maggette looking over his shoulder at Stephen Jackson and asking Nellie what his "role" is, while coach shrugs and looks the other way. We know everybody, and at this point, it's not asking a lot for them to know themselves. It's not going to get any easier for Monta to recognize how to succeed, as it is right now. The acquisition of David Lee was ingenious in regards to this cause, as it takes even less pressure from the Ellis/Curry situation, providing more support and perspective from a seasoned name, and a prominent force in such a consistent veteran. 

In conclusion, Joe Lacob is evaluating the Monta Ellis game correctly, and playing it in such a way where he's going to take this team as far as it can possibly go this season by allowing chemistry without any obstructions or unneeded dams. Consequently, I believe we will get the most from Ellis as he returns to his natural element as a calculated scorer, trusting in his teammates. By season's end, we will then sit back comfortably with our hands folded, and watch the takers line up, as we make a convicting push towards constructing a deep playoff contender.

I've said before that Smart or Silas should be the coach for this year. Stephen Curry said something in his latest interview to the effect of "Morale is the only thing that matters." Although not the most talented candidate, Smart supports this notion, while the philosophy of patience is equally represented, as Lacob is obviously in no hurry to rush and find a new man just for the sake of change. I would rather keep morale with a lesser coach for a year, with time to make proper evaluations, than sign the greater coach, possibly the wrong coach, for a lengthy deal that could cost the team money it could spend on say, a better medical staff. Stephen Curry's off--season play contributes greatly towards building this team's culture, and greatly increases the chances of the Warriors preparing for the season with a clean slate!

With the recent headlines and talks of Nelson being a lame duck, there is much confusion over what is to be done regarding the head coach position. I was listening to Steinmetz the other day, and he was discussing about how Lacob would not be applauded for bringing Nelson in for another year, and how that would be a bad thing.

Why not hand the team over to Keith Smart for a year? There's a couple reasons why I think this would be a smart move.

1. He is liked by the players and fans - He is one of the names the majority would likely be in favor of salvaging through the fire and brimstone reconstruction period. He is familiar with the team, and the young core that is still intact. Instead of rushing in and bringing a new coach to the team with a completely new philosophy, the team would be able to take baby steps away from Nelson's style, as Smart is not completely out of the mold of Nellie after being under him a number of years, and the transition to some day having a new coach, rather than abruptly, would come about much smoother. I can't imagine fans or players being very upset to learn that Smart will become the temp coach for the upcoming season. He has earned it.

2. It buys us time - While Smart is coaching throughout the season, it gives the owner a better chance to evaluate our team, and certainly our young talent. This gives Lacob a better feel for who would fit in with the current roster, and our improvement led by Keith Smart, would mutually attract potential coaches who keep a watchful eye to the team, knowing well that a desirable position will soon be made available. Who knows, maybe we make the playoffs and people actually want to come coach our team.

3. There is little risk involved - Coach Smart deserves a shot at being a head coach, plain and simple. If he succeeds, he may even show the league promise enough to earn himself a few bidders by season's end. We may even want to keep him around. If he fails, the owner will still not look as bad given that it is something the fans would have supported in the first place, and the players as well. It's a good PR move and it relieves Nelson, while keeping a piece of Nellie behind with his underling, to keep the transition a little less combative. Most importantly, I'm sure Keith Smart would except less than a lucrative contract, given that this is his first head coaching job and all. I'm confident that he would not turn down terms for one year and lesser money to show his stuff.

To summarize, Lacob saves face by dumping a lame duck who has received much criticism, he rewards a very likable guy within the organization, he avoids making rash decisions, the players have time to adjust better and grow under a similar, yet very different voice, and the outcome of the whole situation is favorable if we either win or lose. Win - Smart proves he can coach. Lose - The decision wasn't infamous to begin with, so fans would show their obvious hypocrisy by being outrageously disgruntled. If he fails, given his status, we would have an out from his contract, since it would be a small one, losing less money than if we were to abruptly sign the wrong coach for a number of years.

What do you guys think?

ALSO, I recently made a fanpost about Eric Gordon being traded for Monta Ellis. WHY WAS IT DELETED? I was not satisfied with the discussion and I'd like an explanation please. Thanks.