Maybe some of you stat geniuses out there can provide some real data on this: I am wondering if it makes more sense strategically for Biedrins to shoot or pass when he gets the ball in the paint.

Tonight may be a bad time to test this theory with Howard's blocking ability, but I have a feeling that Biedrins would get fouled on at least 50% of his shots if he really powered towards the hoop without a fear of free throws.

Whether he makes the free throws or not is inconsequential for this discussion, what I am looking at is him puting the opposing big man in foul trouble and potentially changing the game.

Maybe we score 8 fewer points per game as a result of Biedrins offensive ineptitude, but the opposing team gets fewer rebounds and blocks as a result of their big man being in foul trouble tilting the balance in our favor. Is there a way to do the math on this?

I have seen and heard a number of comments about how Lacob has improved the team this year with the exception of the roster, but I haev yet to see a specific example of this. I would love for folks to chime in here and state specific examples of change that improve the fan experience.

For example, we have all begged for improved concessions at the arena. Has there been any change? From what I have heard, the food still sucks. Considering the level of ball being played and my lack of interest in the roster of players I am struggling to find a reason to attend a game in person this season.

We have talked the free agency and trade thing into the ground and it is now apparent that the Warriors are not going to make a major move this season. CP3 and Dwight are staying put because there are so few legitimate trade possiblities and all the free agents that could have helped the team are off the market. The Warriors have used the amnesty on Charlie Bell in anticipation of a deal that required a few million to come off the books to ensure the luxury tax is avoided, but they failed to realize that they were never even a player in the market.

The inability to make a major trade or sign a difference maker in the free market are nothing new, but the use of the amnesty on Charlie Bell really has me pissed off and doubting the new ownership team and its inner circle. They are making a huge mistake in promising the fans a trip to the playoffs this season and the failure to admit their mistake is going to create several years of failure instead of 1 or 2.

There are two legitimate ways to use the amnesty: 1) It should have been held until a trade was completed. The team could then amnesty whoever they wanted in order to avoid the luxury tax or create cap room. 2) It should have been used to create cap/luxury space for next year when options were exhausted without success.

#2 is an especially essential part to our roster stratgey because this team is not capable of doing any damage in the playoffs in its current form. Maybe the team can really pull together and get a 7 or 8 seed in the chaos of a short season, but then what? Who cares about a first round out in the playoffs knowing that the next season is going to be equal or worse?! What fans really want is to see a progression towards a championship contender.

Ownership really screwed the pooch when they promised the playoffs because they left themselves no room to back out and say that we really need one more year to correct the mistakes of the Cohan era. They have put themselves in a position to try for the playoffs now with a mediocre roster when they should be targeting a rebuild with a vengence next year. Teams have to be bad to rebuild successfully outside of the major markets. Great players dont want to come here just because. They have to get a high lottery pick in a strong draft season, and the only way to do that is to suck. They have to dump average players with big contracts (amnesty Biedrins in 2012) so that the cap space exists for a big signing.

The worst part is that ownership didnt even need to promise the playoffs. This isn't Minnesota, fans were already buying tons of tickets and cheering like maniacs at every meaningless game. The Bay has crazy love for the Warriors and the NBA in general. The ownership team put themselves in a bad spot for no reason. Could they have made a bigger mistake in their first year of ownership?

After reading about the surgery I decided to conduct an experiment.  I went to the local court and shot free throws a)with my regular motion, and b)arms only.  I have a strong feelign that Biens has had this injury for a long time and has not been comfortable all season. He may have even had it over the summer, causing him to spend more time partying than playing for the national team as a means of avoiding further injury.

My assumption was that with only the arms it would be nearly impossible to shoot a consistent shot with a good chance to go in. The only other option was to let my son kick me in the belly and try to shoot in pain - but I am not that dedicated to you guys/gals :)

With my regular motion I made 20 out of 25 shots (80%). It is an effortless shot when you put your whole body into a single, smooth motion.

With arms only I shot 12 for 25 (48%). While this isnt exactly 19%, I was already starting out as a better pure shooter than Biedrins (damn genetics, I could have been someboy, a contender).  Basically cutting my percentage in half is a major problem. The shot ended up being a lot like Beins' : flat and a lot of wrist.

I think this record poor shooting performance that is about to hit the history books will need an asterisk.  He does not deserve to go down in history as the worst free thrower ever while playing hurt.  I understand why he wouldnt discuss this during the season. There is a competitive disadvantage when the other team knows your weakness. I would come out now, though, and tell the world that Biens was hurt all year and was a hero for playing through an injury that required surgery.

As an extra bonus, this may boost his trade value so that other teams dont think he fell off this year for no reason.

I urge you to take a second to try shooting like Biens, then letting us know what  happened.  It is a strange experience. You can't just power through the shot and bank them all either. If your abs are hurting, putting that much effort into it is too painful for 1 measely point. 

Fresh from a little taste of All Star weekend, these two opposing players may be looking to leave a mark on tonight's game in the absence of their respective team "leaders".  Brown will have a hell of a time being the man on that team, while Morrow could have a huge impact if he can continue to create good shots for himself.

Last time these two teams met, Morrow had 14 pts, 4 rebounds - Brown had 7 pts, 3 rebounds.

Let's step up this contest and see if anyone can predict the more complex points and rebounds total.

I'm throwing in a guess of:

Morrow  25 / 7

Brown    14 / 6

Good Luck!

I understand that Stern likely took this as an opportunity to pick the next biggest star so people will tune in to the game.

But let's say he really is going by the coaches' votes.  Did the coaches really vote Kidd ahead of Monta?  Based on chatter you would have to assume Brooks was voted ahead of him as well.

Is it possible that Monta is hated by the other coaches for the moped thing, or is there another reason he had no chance of getting into the All Star game?

Monta would be way more exciting to watch on Sunday than Kidd, Brooks, Roy...just about anyone else, and entertainment is what this game is all about.

I watched that last shot about 6 times last night trying to find evidence that is was taken with the intent to miss it and allow Curry's triple-double.

In the end, I felt that it was a good shot, intended to go in, but it was a pretty bad miss from only 16 feet away. There was no good reason to take it other than to pad individual stats or give Curry a chance at the rebound.

What do you think?  And if it was missed on purpose, what do you think about the blatant attempt to give Curry his triple-double?  Was it basic, good natured comraderie on the court? Is there a traitor in your midst? Was it just a stupid shot?

Straight forward like the last one, but more time for people to get involved and vote. 

Guess how many points each one will score.  You have to guess both scores correctly to win.  First correct answer posted before tip-off wins the game.

Please one guess per person.

I will put up a new Warriors Tshirt as the prize again. 

If anyone else wants to add to the treasure box to sweeten the deal that would be fun.  Even if you are throwing in Warriors socks with holes in them.  How much fun would it be to receive those in the mail one day? I would laugh for days.

Again, I am allowing myself to vote:

Curry - 35 points

Morrow - 32 points

I am calling for all out Warrior domination!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the talk about trading players for more expriring contracts or players with 1 year left on their deal needs to stop.  We are not going to get a big name player like Amare to resign here, nor will we lure a free agent like DWade with our cap space.

Right now, there is no reason to think Cohan is going to sell this team and Cohan has no interest in paying an All Star caliber player more than he is worth to blind a player to all the problems inherent in working for him.

The contract is up in 2011 and the league plans to push salaries way down.  Additionally, the cap limit will come down a little bit each of those seasons further restricting what Cohan will be willing to spend to avoid the luxury tax.

Teams like the Warriors are going to take it easy in 2010, try to make some simple moves that dont cost any money, and see what happens in 2011.  Waiting until 2011 to sign a big name player could be worth $20 million in savings. When you think about what this team has done under Cohan over the last 15 years, waiting one more season to really try and improve would not be a big deal for him.

This is part of the reason why we gave up on Speedy and chose to hang on to a bargain price D-Leaguer. There probably were not any trades on the table that did not have major financial implications over the next year. The expiring contract became worthless as a piece of the plan to play this based on finances instead of on player talent and cap space (which is what we are all concerned with).

Look for Monta or Biedrins plus change to be traded to a team who needs them to catapult into Championship contention while we get players who will complement the rest of our roster with mid-level contracts and possibly draft picks.

I am almost dreading this game tonight, so I figured I would spice things up a bit and give me a reason to keep watching in case of a blow out or injury to another key player.

Take a guess at what Monta's score and shooting percentage will be tonight.

If anyone guesses it exactly before tipoff, I will give you a new Warriors t-shirt out of my personal collection.

Since it is my contest, I am making the rules, and allowing myself to play:

33 points / 60 percent shooting

Oh, that's right, no one.

Take a look at the top 10 scorers in the NBA right now

1-LeBron James                                    6-Monta Ellis

2-Carmelo Anthony                                7-Dirk Nowitzki

3-Kevin Durant                                        8-Chris Bosh

4-Kobe Bryant                                          9-Brandon Roy

5-Dwayne Wade                                    10-Antawn Jamison

In a scoring driven league, you would think that all top 10 scorers would have major endorsement deals that result in print ads, television commercials, and a variety of sponsored product lines that get the publics attention.

With the exception of Monta and Antawn (who is essentially a dinosaur now) I can name every major sponsor for the player and tell you where I have seen them advertised in non-hoops media. 

Just try watching something on ESPN without a mention of those top 5 players. It doesnt matter if you are watching bowling, you will see commercials for these players sneakers and drinks of choise, plus one announcer will make a reference to someone being the LeBron of their sport (move over Jordan).

This drives 95% of All Star voting and influences the news media to mention specific players more often.

So where the hell is Monta?  Is it a surprise to anyone that he is playing like an All Star this year? Has he not had enough amazing highlights on ESPN?

Hell no.

OK, Monta has not kicked ass in the playoffs yet.  He was a member of the great 8 seed team, but did not make a major contribution. Has Durant done anything in the playoffs yet though? Chris Bosh? Dirk was considered a failure under the pressure of the playoffs despite being named MVP.  So is this a valid negative mark on Monta's record?

I know Monta has endorsement deals in place. Those people need to step up and give Monta the love he deserves.  Give him a big ass ad campaign and let everyone know he is our All Star no matter what.  Give him an amazing website with highlights that all hoops fans have to visit.

Give him something that makes Google point to Monta Ellis when you seach for "monta".

Is that name any less original than LeBron or Kobe?

And Monta, please consider what the heck you are getting yourself into when you sign a deal with someone. $10 mil from Nike is like $50 from And1 when you consider exposure and public perception.  We dont want to root for an underdog for the rest of your career.

Out of the 34 players who have scored 20,000 points , only 10 have scored all of them with a single franchise. Tim Duncan will become the 11th some time  this week.

It got me thinking about Monta.  He could reach that mark one day and I would feel exceptionally proud if he reached it as a Warrior and eventually retired as a Warrior.  He is not a perfect player and he could be a very valuable trade piece, but he is really good as what he does. When he is paired in the backcourt with a Baron Davis type PG, he has the potential to be as close to a perfect position player as we will see in Oakland in my lifetime.

I have a substancial emotional attachment to players who come through Oakland which only grows with every season they play here.  I have a hard time watching NBA games that dont feature a former Warrior now because I dont get the same rush of excitement watching a bunch of strangers play unless it happens to be a great game. It is a great feeling watching players come in young and raw and grow with the team and community.  It feels even better to see a player make a home here and dedicate his time to the community he really cares about.

Despite the negative impact Free Agency has had on tenure, it is still more than possible to have a player spend an entire career with one franchise.  I think this is something we should strive for, not jsut back into when there are no better choice on the free agent market.

Whether it be Monta, Curry, or some other player yet to be drafted, I would like to see the Warriors make it a point of identifying strong talent, giving them a fair salary based on their skills, and holding onto a couple them each generation for an entire career.  While the emphasis has long been on winning championships in the NBA, the lack of playoff appearances here has lead me to be more interested in the entire fan experience.  Being able to attach myself to a solid player is becoming a more important feature for me as time goes by.

Weigh in on this issue please. I am very curious to know if any of you would prefer a constantly revolving door that translates into championships, or something else in between.  I subscribe to the thought that no player should be untouchable because you have to give up talent to get talent, but at the same time I want to develop a fan relationship with both players and our team.

I can hear it now:  What? When did we start playing defense?  Ha, ha...but, seriously, there is nothing that I can find in the rule book about having to play defense.  There are rules about how to play it (e.g. 3 in the key, illegal defense), but nothing that says a team has to play defense. When a player is injured or arguing with the ref as play goes the other way, there is no foul for failing to get back on D which seems to prove it.

So what if we just had Morrow stay back on offense, posted up at the 3 pt line in the corner? Everytime we get a turn over or rebound we lob it down to him for a 3.  We would turn the game into a total shoot out.  The opposing team might even be tempted to tell their point guard to never penetrate so he is always ready to get back on defense. If that happened though, we would have Monta or Curry streaking down the lane for a layup if Morrow decides to pass it.

What if we had Tolliver or Hunter just stay back for dunks?

This is a crazy idea. Fans and opposing teams would lose it.  It would cause the Warriors to be made fun of at an all new level in the media and Stern would probably threaten to kill Cohan if he didnt stop it.  They might even change the rule book mid-season for the first time. 

It would be a hell of an entertaining thing to see though and no other coach is as qualified as Nellie to try something like this.  This could cause a tremendous shift in the game like no one has ever seen as teams try to figure out how to be ready to play defense while they are still on offense. Rotations and positioning on offense would be a nightmare while worrying about getting back to at least pressure Morrow somehow, or get within shouting distance of someone dunking the ball.

What if we started winning games like this? What ramifications would it have on the league? Would any of us want a part of the league anymore if bad teams started doing this?

I am ready to see something totally out of the box to salvage this season as an exceptionally entertaining one since we have no hopes of seeing consistent NBA level ball.

We would also set a record for fast break points that would never be beaten. This Warriors team would secure a place in NBA history that would be spoken of infinitely.

Last night Curry was hammered driving to the hoop with about 48 seconds left in the game.  Being a blowout the refs were holding their whistles a bit, but the lack of a foul call on that play was outright scary.

Curry was obviously hurt, potentially injured, and the refs seemed to be more interested in ending the game than applying the rules and protecting the players.

1 day after the 60 minutes interview I am shocked any ref had the balls to no call something like that, let alone all 3 refs.  I expected a long list of complaints by the time I logged in here this morning including a petition to be sent to the league offices.

That was the type of foul that hasnt been allowed since the Detroit "Bad Boys" were shut down and disbanded.

Imagine the implications that would have had for our season if Curry was really injured.  The Warriors would have been reduced to D League status with all the injuries and a ton of pissed season ticket holders wondering why they paid so much to watch sub par basketball.

This deserves some major discussion and pressure on the league to control the refs and level the playing field.

I believe 100% that the refs are not impartial overseers.  The calls are inconsistent at best. They are not only changing the outcome of games and playign God with the future of the franchises, but they are also puting the future of these players in danger.

What would a guy like CJ Watson do if he was hammered on a lay up because those calls arent made during blowouts? CJ breaks a vertebrae in his back and on a 1 year contract is out in the cold next year with no way to make a living in the sport he has dedicated himself to. 

I am livid and utterly disappointed

Looking for some D-League experts to weigh in here....I have been wondering how many guys who get a shot in the D-League get bounced out for personality issues rather than lack of talent.

The news about Nate Miles wasnt a surprise. He sexually assaults a woman and violates the restraining order, all the while being treated like basketball royalty.  I have to assume this told him it doesnt matter how he acts as long as he keeps scoring.

This got me wondering how many times playes have come in with good hoops IQ and talent, but not had the emotional intelligence to make it.  I see this as far more likely in the D League than in the NBA because if you have obvious NBA level talent teams will find a way to deal with your personality flaws (Ron Artest anyone?)

If I was a D League coach, I wouldnt put up with sh*t from players. Nothing hurts a locker room more than a spoiled a-hole or a guy that is so irrational he can barely function. No amount of talent will make that team right, and there is way too little room of error in the D League already.

Maybe I am wrong, though,  and you guys know tons of players who are a wreck but played for years.

Over at Daily Dojo writer Joshua James quoted some info yesterday that applies directly to what we are seeing with JAX and Monta. I think Fear The Beard was on the right track, but this sounds exactly like what we are dealing with.

“The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which “people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it”.[1] The unskilled therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their own ability as above average, much higher than actuality; by contrast the highly skilled underrate their abilities, suffering from illusory inferiority. This leads to a perverse result where less competent people will rate their own ability higher than relatively more competent people. It also explains why actual competence may weaken self-confidence because competent individuals falsely assume that others have an equivalent understanding. “Thus, the miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others.”[1]”

In layman’s terms, people who don’t really know what they’re doing tend to believe that they’re much better at it than they actually are … and people who do know what they’re doing tend to think they’re not as good as they actually are.

http://writerjoshuajames.com/dailydojo/?p=1558

JAX and Monta have had some great moments.  I will not deny that. But neither is a player a team should, or can, build around....neither is an All Star caliber player....neither knows how to be a leader....neither one knows it.

You have to wonder if they would have reached this point if they spent the meat of their playing years in Detroit or LA (or San Antonio?!) with really great players and coaches.  The Warriors have been in a state of disarray for so long that they had to treat these two guys like saviors instead of like the role players they are. These two players may not be able to function properly anywhere now except on other decrepit teams.

I fear they may be facing a premature demise soon like Allen Iverson because no team can figure out how to use them despite an uncanny amount of talent.  I wouldnt wish that on anyone (except Cohan and Rowell...ok maybe Sarah Palin too).

Anyone think there is a way to save Monta? Considering how few years you get in this league, I fear he is a lost cause already.

Let's say we dump Nellie and bring in someone who is dedicated to the triangle....we have seen flashes of how good the team is when they are passing and moving with a purpose on offense. 

Morrow & Buike would have more chances to catch the ball ready to shoot

Monta & Curry would have better lanes to play triple threat from

JAX & Maggette would know who to pass the ball to when they dont have a GOOD shot

Randolph would benefit from the additional discipline

There are college teams who are running the triangle system successfully now, so my initial thoughts that a young team would struggle are waning.

I also think that having purpose on offense will make the defense better.  They wont be so frustrated getting back on D.

There are other offensive schemes out there, but I have not seen another one that allows high scoring teams who do not run/gun  to have open shots so often.

This post is not meant to say let's do it this year, just what are your thoughts on running this offensive scheme with this group of players.

Did anyone read this article from ESPN.com?

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/7054/memo-to-a-young-baller

It basically kisses Kevin Durant's butt and criticizes him sharply at the same time. The points that are made are 100% valid however, and the whole article reminds me of the Warriors due to the level of talent mixed with youth and lack of experience.

I basically think OKC's issues boil down to Durant being so far better than anyone else on his team for the last 2 years that the coaches let him run wild on the floor (reminiscent of LeBron in CLEV).  To compound the issue, Durant loves to run wild because he is so damn good at it, adn his teammates love to watch. When Durant is off the floor, they are forced to actually coach and run fundamentally sound plays in order to accomplish anything.

I can see this being a huge problem for the Warriors with Nellie out of the picture. He has the balls to sit young players and/or hold them on a short leash even if they have a lot of talent. Can you image Randolph playing for OKC last year?  He would have played 45 minutes per game while creating 100 highlight videos, but he and Durant would never have played a pock and roll properly (on offense or defense), and OKC would have had the same losing record. Everyone would have been confused as to why.

If Jackson falls apart, or is traded for what boils down to 2010 cap space, we will be dangerously close to this even with Nellie at the helm.  He will be forced to play a lot of talented youth, and let them try to win games based on talent rather than on fundamental B-ball. 

-Monta will play no defense and try to score too often

-Randolph will be as out of control as he was last year thinking he has to do it all, forgetting that slowing himself down slilghtly would be perfect

-Morrow will shoot every time he touches the ball, then be benched

-Curry will end up supremely confused about what to do at the point and have little progress to draw on for his sophmore year

-Maggette will shoot too soon or try to get fouled every time he touches the ball and he wont play any defense when the calls dont go his way (even more than now).

This "Memo to a Young Baller" needs to be mandatory reading and discussion material for our team. Fundamentally sound basketball and teamwork will serve us far better than constant highlight reel moves and one on one play that leave you with a 50% chance of success.  Fundamental basketball doesnt mean you can't run and be fun to watch.  It just means that you admit there is a right way to do everything, and you give up the highlight move when there is a strong opportunity to run a play.

   We have talked about the merits of all the Warriors players until our fingers and eyes are bleeding.  The one thing we can all agree on is that we have a core of very talented players on the Warriors, who under the right conditions, are all valuable pieces.  Maybe even crucial championship pieces when taken individually on the right team.

   When we look at the team as a whole, we have big problems though, and I am wondering more than ever if Monta is the problem.

   Monta is a great offensive player and a slighlty below average defensive player.  We get caught up in his offensive production and the attention he draws from opposing defenders because it is exciting, and you need that insane offensive threat on every team.

   We have now moved into the era of trying to make Monta be a point guard, though, and the more I think about it, the more I see this as a mistake.  The Warriors have talked about trading just about everyone else on the team because the bigs dont rebound enough or score enough, the small forwards arent strong on defense or rebounding, the others play in between positions are are just flawed in some way regardless of position.

   Monta has not been shopped too much, if at all,  because he has been the one consistently super talented player over the last few years. That amount of super talent however is not necesarily doing us any good.  We only got to the playoffs when we finally had a solid point guard.

   The best evidence for the value of a true point guard in the NBA came last season when Denver acquired Chauncy Billups.  You would not associate Billups with the word exciting, but he has delivered a missing factor to Denver in his leadership, facilitation, position defense, and ability to turn on the offense as needed.  These are crucial qualities in the absence of a Jordan/LeBron type player whose talent takes over every other factor in a game.

   The second best arguement for finding a talented point guard above all else arrived in the form of Chris Paul.  Since he has joined the Hornets he has steadily improved as a point guard - not just as a player or scorer - and they have not improved at any other position, yet they have become a perrennial playoff team.  He facilitiates the offense, is a threat on offense himself, has leadership qualitieis, and plays solid defense for his position.

   For a point guard, Monta is not under-sized (heck, Paul is 3 inches shorter) so moving him to this position eliminates that negative factor.  I dont doubt that Monta can develop some PG skills and mindset, and he can improve his defense if he decides he wants to, but here is the big problem with this experiment...

     While we wait for Monta to become an All Star point guard Biedrins' best years will pass by, and Curry-Radolph-Morrow will never learn how to play to their true potential.  They will be struggling while Monta is struggling instead of developing while we have an anchor at the floor general position.  Biedrins is not a great center due to his lack of a shot which is why he will get shopped around as long as a Bosh or Amare are potentially available. You cannot have good guys playing at both the PG and C positions at the same time and win anything. Yes we can be exciting, but we have been there and done that, lets move on.

     Monta is our most valuable trade option besides Randolph if he is 100% back from injury.  His talent is clouding our vision of this team's future and we should trade him for a solid point guard right now so that we can see what we really have in the other young guys. I couldnt tell you who is available right now on the trade market, but I have to think if we suddenly offered Monta and Wright as a package deal, we would have more interest from around the league than the Warriors front office could handle.  If we throw in the expiring contracts from our recent acquisitions the pot becomes even sweeter.

     So the question is, why would you all want to hold on Monta even if it meant stunting the development of the other younger players? Why would we hold onto Monta knowing we will never win a championship with this team and that the player most lilke him in the NBA - Allen Iverson - was never able to take his team to the promise land either after causing the same type of confusion with his talent in the front office of his respective clubs?  Why would you hold onto Monta knowing the right point guard could take us to the playoffs right now?

    The promises his talent has shown us are mirages.  They seem nice now, but you never really get anywhere.

The Flights of Fancy post got me thinking...we have a lot of season ticket holders here either as occassional readers or active posters.  We have had innumerable discussions on the Front Office, Team, Treatment of Season Ticket Holders, Future of our Players, etc...and the consensus seems to be negative, or hopeful with no trust in the organization.

I am extremely interested to know how many renewed their season tickets and why if you are inclined to respond.

I was really on the fence about buying season tickets last year and decided not to because the product really doesnt warrant the expense when I can see the games on TV in high def.  This year I am very excited about seeing our young players, but have even less faith that the club is going in the right direction with the failed attempts to lure in a big name player to anchor the young team.  Another year, same old same old.

I truly bleed Warriors blood, but in this economy there are too many other things above season tickets on my priority list.

Check out this article from espn.com

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-43-69/Your-Second-Favorite-Team.html

The Warriors get a lot of love and it really got me thinking.  I have been trying to come up with a second favorite team for a long time.  I really enjoy the mess that is the Clippers, and when we beat them it is that much sweeter to have your favorite beat the number 2, in conference.

But, from a pure love of the game perspective, I am really torn.  I love watching LeBron play.  He is totally unique not only in today's game, but as a historical figure in the NBA the same way Pistol Pete or Big O were when you watch the reruns on espnclassic...but I hate the Cavs as a team. So far, the team has really let LeBron down and not been fun to watch.  I enjoy Chris Paul, but same thing, the rest of the team does not deliver.  Utah is consistenly good and entertaining, but I hate them almost as much as the Lakers, and that will never change.

When the Warriors are not on, I dont think I am a hoops fan anymore.  I am so thoroughly filled with Warriors blood after 30 years as a fan that I cannot even consider really rooting for another team.  I lose interest during the playoffs and spend more time on the court myself....and find myself turning more and more to other sports where I dont have such an emotional attachment and can watch from a love of the sport standpoint.

Is it possible that after so many years of ups and downs with our crazy ass team, that I have passed over the standard fan threshhold into the realm of complete lunacy? When I watch two other teams play I want them both to lose even though I know it isnt possible.

Anyone else with me on this or are you able to just switch over and root for one of our NBA enemies?

Considering the NBA play of Morrow and Buike last year, and the fact that we have had 2 years of media-hyped, solid NCAA play from Curry to review, I think it is reasonable to expect that the Warriors will have three players in the NBA top 5 for 3 point shooting at the All Star break.

A lot of teams have had the potential for two.  I can't think of another team who has ever had a legitmate chance at three, so please jump in if you have the memory for it. 

Curry is a big "if" right now, but I think he will earn a decent amount of playing time based on his collegiate play, draft position, summer performance, and pedigree, and it will be easier for him to get 3pt shot off than do anything else as a rookie.  Everyone knows he can shoot, so he will be guarded, but finishing inside and distributing the ball are much more difficult than finding his spot and catching/shooting.

Here are last year's stats for each player:

                   3PM-A                   3P%

Azibuike     94-210               0.448     4th in league at year end

Morrow      86-184                0.467     Lead the league

Curry          130-336             0.387     5th in NCAA at year end based on made 3pters

The NBA has no responsibility to select anyone for the 3pt shootout based on their performance.  We all watched the Dubs get egregiously snubbed last year so they could select based on a mysterious agenda. But let's say these three lead the league at the break and have made enough shots to meet the volume requirements.

Would the NBA dare to completely diss our team again?

What should our reaction be if that takes place?

I would not be surprised if they ignore 1 or 2 of the guys if they are sent to the Frosh/Soph game. The NBA considers any amount of participation in the weekend to be so amazing that players should kiss Stern's feet for simply being allowed in, but I find the 3pt Shootout to be far more prestigious, especially when you have earned a spot by out-performing your peers. Not to mention way more people watch it than watch the rookie game.

As an NBA fan, I would rather have the drama of the league's best shooters competing against each other, even if several participants are from the same team.  The NBA could hype that up as a dominant shooting team with players who are seeking to show each other who the man really is.  They can pretend like they hate each other during the contest and talk mad trash to make it interesting for the casual fan.

Is that crazy?

With the likely signing of Gortat, the Mavs are said to be dangling the expiring contract of Eric Dampier in front of a lot of teams.

When I read that on NBA.com today my heart sank and I started remembering all the missed lay-ups and dumb fouls Dampier brought to the team in years passed.

I am on the verge of tears typing this and thinking he could end up a Warrior again somehow based on that comment that the Warriors need some Beef in the line-up.

Please tell me this cannot happen!  There is no scenario where bringing him in is a good thing which is exactly why it could potentially happen as Cohan's last poke at the Warriors fans he hates so much.

On a team filled with scorers, why havent we heard about the Warriors looking at defensive minded players like Bowen?  (Please do not insert Nellie jokes here)

He is scheduled to make only $4MIL this year and may get a $2MIL buyout from Milwaukee by August.  That means he will probably be available to be had at a discount.

His shooting has deteriorated a bit and his defense is not as good as it was, but on a team like ours, a slightly old defensive specialist seems like a great match.  We could potentially say goodbye to those last minute OT losses and BS lucky shots by opponents at the end of games.

I know we are guard heavy and I would hate to see Morrow lose playing time he deserves this year (assuming Belinelli will be traded somehow - otherwise him too), but there are times where a defensive line-up would be awesome:

Bowen

Jackson

Azibuike

Turiaf

Biedrins

I have seen several blogs recently talking about how hard it would be for teams to pick up expensive players in the current economy.  Generally that is an acceptable statement, but that should not be applied to the Warriors.

Our team is in a unique position based on the fan base that continues to support the team regardless of whether they win or not, and how many crazy ass decisions come out of the front office. I would wager that the Warriors will rank much higher on the Forbes list of NBA team value this coming December because we will continue to sell-out the arena through the economic down-turn unlike many winning teams (e.g. Atlanta and Miami).

I understand that Cohan has thus far refused to spend on players and/or approach the luxury tax, but there is no reason that could not change if there is a wholesale shift in attitude in the front office under Cohan.  The Warriors' managing personnell could see this as a great opportunity to shift the direction of the club as more and more players are shopped around the league to save money and position for 2010 free agency. Especially considering how over spending a little bit right now could put the franchise on solid ground for many, many years to come and provide opportunities to under-spend down the line.

I think this team is so unpredictable that this is as likely as anything else.  Am I crazy?

Stephen Jackson was second in the NBA this year with 18 technicals (1 behind the leader) with 2 ejections thrown in for good measure.  He had countless moments where he allowed his frustration level to take him out of a play. I say "frustration", not referees or opponents, because we saw way too many plays where he didn't actually get fouled or he made a bad move and was embarassed about turning the ball over. Even if the ref did make a bad call, in my book 1 or 2 bad calls can happen in a game due to the human factor and you have to let them go.

We need to start a push today to send the message that this needs to be turned around. There is no way he can get his emotions under control alone or during the season.  He needs help and a lot of it.

Here are my suggestions, I am looking for more.  We cannot have the leader of our team saying the right things off the court and acting like a baby on it.

1) Nelson threatens to bench him every time he falls behind a play due to whining and complaining (after an initial grace period of 5 strikes). Nellie then has to man up and actualy bench the man.  This will draw a ton of media attention and Jax should have too much pride to be called a bitch in the national media.

2) Hire a sports psychologist to work with him from now all the way through the season. Jax needs to work out his issues now and have a shoulder to lean on after games to reflect intelligently on what went down.

3) Hire someone like Jerry West to mentor the whole team as a team on what it takes to be a winner. If the whole team becomes more emotionally intelligent, it will really help the individuals who lag behind. I dont care if it costs $10 million for one season of coaching, if Cohan is serious about having any success, it would be worth it.

4) Force Jackson to ref games in lower level leagues.  We have a couple in the Bay Area that are very competitive.  After Jax gets shouted at a few times he might start to see how difficult it is to make the correct call every time and why a ref won't bail out a player on a bad move.

5) Reward success.  If he starts to pull it together it should be a big deal to everyone in the Warriors organization, media, fan base, everything. The Mayor of Oakland should announce a freaking Stephen Jackson day if he finishes the first half of the season with 5 or fewer technical fouls, no ejections, and very few failures to get back on defense.

Promoted from the Fanposts.  I left my opinion... What's yours?  -- Scott

I have heard very little to nothing about D-League teams having someone on staff who markets their players to NBA teams to help them get a chance to play.

This could be the result of a lack of interest from the media or the fact that teams expect players to have an agent handle the task, but I thought I would put it out there to the Ridiculous Upside crew anyway for comment.

If I was a team owner, I would have someone on staff who is pushing to get my players in the news, in front of NBA coaches, maybe even in front of European coaches.  The more players you successfully send up, the more people will become aware of your team and league.  I would hope this would increase the fan base in addition to giving more deserving players a shot.

As mentioned in another post, opportunity seems to be the one primary factor in a role player getting a shot in the NBA. Sometimes, you have to create that opportunity off the court, not on it.

Mark Cuban got busted for trash talking to Kenyon Martin's mom   http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-nba/20090511/Cuban.051109/

I kind of like this.  It could be considered a bit low class, but it sounds like Mom can dish it out, so she should be able to take it.  You gotta think the mother of a player like Kenyon is used to some loud mouth-ism and knows how to deal with it.

What if Cohan was visible at the games, swearing and stressing over every call?  Talking trash to fans and opposing players?  Calling out the refs for bad fouls or missed calls damn the fines?

We would still be a losing team, with bad concessions, and no direction in the front office, but we would know his heart was in it.  That would make a huge difference for me the more I think about it.

Why even bother to own a team if you are not going to be a die hard fan?  There are better ways to make money than owning a (losing) sports franchise.

In case you havent been following the discussion, there has been talk about what it would take to buy/run a D League team over at the Ridiculous Upside and Rufus On Fire blogs elsewhere on SBNation.

Rufus, I think, proposed that there be an employee ownership plan where everyone buys in for $10k or something, even if that means they take out a loan conditional upon employment.  This would generate the cash necessary to take over a failing team and ensure employee pride in the product.

I dont see any way that could really happen based on the tight purse strings at banks right now and the employee/owners' likely lack of ability to repay.  There arent going to be any dividends or profits that allow repayment of a loan, and the salaries are not that great in the D League.

When I really stop to think about it, I dont see any way the league can be successful unless the NBA takes a larger ownership stake in the league as a whole. They need to back it financially at a larger level and have a voice in daily operations of every team to ensure the teams are run in a way that mirrors the NBA's professionalism as much as possible.  Otherwise the teams just become a sideshow instead of a true path to the NBA.

Let's open this up to discussion here where there are more people with opinions.

How would you run the team or the league as a whole if you were handed the reigns?  (seriously, no Jackie Moon stuff!  Do you want to love me sexy?!)