Derrick Rose. Makes. Everything.
Let's just focus on the positives, ok?
1. Jackson, Maggette, and Biedrins all played well together for the first time this season. This has never happened before. This is an exciting thing. The guys just didn't get the help they needed from the role players tonight: Morrow was only 2-9 from the field. Watson was 2-10. Measly bench play from Wright, Belinelli, and Turiaf turned up a combined 8 points. That, combined with a forgetful, if not mournful appearance by Marcus Williams (1-3, 0-2 ft, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0 blk, 0 stl, 2 pts), proved to be too much for the not-so-big three's efforts to overcome. But still, they were absolutely great tonight.
2. Randolph looked incredible. Despite missing a dunk/layup in the closing ticks of the game that would have cut the deficit to one, Randolph just played out of his mind. The first round pick was rewarded with significant minutes closing out the game, and managed to put up some incredible numbers. In just 13 minutes (get this! just 13!), Randolph was just one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points, 9 boards - 5 offensive, and 4 blocked shots. He did have two turnovers in those minutes, but I'll take that play any day of the week.
3. Despite the loss, the Warriors kept it close. Actually lead most of the game. And considering the New Orleans, Toronto, Grizzlies(#2), Pistons, and Bulls losses, the Warriors are only a combined 24 points away from being a 10-2 team and having the second-best record in the Western Conference. Don't you think either Jamal Crawford or Monta Ellis is good for 24 points in any single game? Consider for a second just how promising that is.
Like I said before, playoffs just aren't out of the picture yet.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Warriors 110 - 115 Bulls
Friday, November 21, 2008
Warriors Have Every Right to Think Playoffs
What started out as a rebuilding year has become an '06-'07 repeat
This season was supposed to be about rebuilding. Well maybe not rebuilding, but retooling. Tinkering. Tweaking. Whatever you want to call it, fans, coaches, and players definitely thought the "P word" was a ways away -- the Dubs of the future, not the present.
But things have changed.
Mullin (or Rowell, or whoever is actually pulling those strings) has done it again and gotten something for nothing. A big something. A something that can turn this season around.
Like I've said before, Crawford may not have been the best all-around player on the market, but he's something special on the offensive end, and the Warriors can use his help.
Many nay-sayers have questioned the Warriors and their style of play - opting for high scoring and brushing aside defensive fundamentals - stating that a team so bad on the defensive side of the ball could never win a championship. The Warriors can never win a championship while giving up 105 points per game. I disagree.
What I believe - and the Dubs' personnell moves mirror this philosophy - is that, in today's NBA, it's more effective to have an identity that plays to your strengths than to try and be a great all-around team. Defense works for some - the Spurs for example.
But look at the Suns. They traded away their identity along with Shawn Marion for the Big Diesel. Would you say they're closer to winning a championship now? The bottom line is the players on the Suns simply work better in an uptempo system. Nash is at his most effective when running the floor. Same thing with Barbosa, Diaw, and Amare.
Same thing with the Warriors.
From signing Maggette to trading for Crawford the Warriors have made a definitive statement - screw defense, we're about scoring points. Aside from the development of Andris at the center position, this is actually a significantly worse defensive team than we were last year: Baron has been replaced with Watson/Nelson/Williams who are all terrible perimeter defenders. Harrington has been replaced with Crawford - also a defensive liability. Pietrus and Barnes were two of our better on-ball defenders and they're also gone.
And all this has been replaced with firepower. Maggette is a top-tier scorer when he wants to be. So is Crawford. So how will the Warriors' little experiment play out? Hopefully the extra points on the board will outweigh the exceptionally high oppenent ppg this team is looking to end up with.
And hopefully a team recognized by it's high power offense will be able to keep playing to the identity that made them relevant again.
Type rest of the post here
A New Beginning
The Warriors welcome Jamal Crawford
Screw the catchy introduction -- let's get down to brass tacks. Al Harrington's long-numbered days as a Warrior are over and Jamal Crawford of the Knicks will be taking over the roster spot.
And I am a happy man.
After a dismal start to the season and a nagging back "injury", Al Harrington was just starting to become a serious problem for this team. His salary easily eclipses his production as a player for the Warriors (note the use of "production", not "potential"). I, for one, was very worried Al had seen his last days in a Dubs uniform and that the team would have serious issues getting decent value in return if they opted to honor his trade request.
Instead, the Warriors have managed to finagle a star-potential caliber player who I personally thought was untouchable as a Knick. And nobody should be happier about this than Nellie.
Don Nelson is often times a hard man to read. Many times he sends mixed signals - intentionally or otherwise - making it impossible to decipher what's really going on in the mad scientist's head.
But when Nelson describes himself as "stoked" to have Crawford on board, you'd better believe he means it.
Crawford is just about as close as we'll come to replacing Baron on this team. While Crawford is fairly dissimilar to BD as a player, they're almost exactly the same as a concept -- something that Nelson finds very compelling.
In his years with the Knicks, Crawford has acquired ample experience running the point. And at 6-5 he can create mismatches against most traditional point guards in the league. Which is exactly what Don Nelson has always wanted for this team -- a combo point/shooting guard to run the team alongside Monta Ellis, also a combo 2.
While Crawford is abysmal defensively (yes, even worse than Al), he's a legit shooter than can make it rain with the best of them. Here's what Nellie's lineup looks to be when Crawford starts playing with the team on Tuesday:
Jamal Crawford - CJ Watson
Anthony Morrow - Kelenna Azubuike
Stephen Jackson - Anthony Randolph
Corey Maggette - Brandan Wright
Andris Biedrins - Ronny Turiaf
Though that lineup looks to be downright bad on the defensive end, there isn't a single player on the floor a team can forget about. Absolutely every player in the Warriors' starting lineup has the potential to torch any team foolish enough to relax defensively.
Which will open up the lane for Crawford, Jackson, and Maggette. Which will open up shooters (aka everyone) on the wings for open threes. Which should make the rest of this season pretty darn fun to watch.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Don Nelson: Morrow is the Real Deal
If Nellie says it's true, then I believe it.
I don't really care if I sound like a sheep, just taking orders from the man in charge. The bottom line is that Nellie is going to be around for a long time. And whether he'll admit it publicly or not, he'll be exerting a great deal of influence on personnel decisions.
So after the Portland game last night, when Nelson said to media, "He’s the real deal. And we haven’t even learned how to play with him... When he’s working off screens, we’d better get him open. Because he looks like the real deal".
There you have it, Nellie law. If the Don says run, the Warriors should run. If he says jump, the Warriors should jump. And if Don Nelson says an undrafted beanpole of a rookie is the answer to the Warriors' woes, then let's go sailing - I'm on board.
Nellie continued, saying that the key advantage Morrow provides isn't his scoring - it's the threat of his scoring. Morrow can be so aggressive moving without the ball coming off screens, and has such a quick release, that teams have no choice but to defend him with a little more urgency. Yup, keep a sharp eye, Morrow's around. Since he demands that little extra defensive focus, just having Morrow on the floor should make the rest of the team better offensively, Nellie contends.
For his part, Morrow downplayed his role on the team after the game. "I know we have guys on this team that are all-stars, all-star caliber players. I just do what I do and play off of them", Morrow said. "It’s a huge transition, but I feel I can do it".
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Stephen Jackson Interview
Fellow blogger and FSBA sideline reporter Matt Steinmetz with a great interview of Cap'n Jack.
You can read the interview HERE.
*Update - Hyperlinks don't appear to be working right now, so here's the direct copy-and-paste link:
http://www.examiner.com/x-441-Golden-State-Warriors-Examiner~y2008m11d18-Stephen-Jackson-on-Palace-brawl-gunplay-at-strip-club-and-Warriors-president-Robert-Rowell
Warriors 111 - 106 Trailblazers
A second helping of Morrow and our first quality win.
We needed this one.
With narrow misses against expected playoff teams such as New Orleans, and Toronto, the Warriors needed to show the world they can beat a good team. Not a great team, but a good one.
Despite Oden's breakout game (it was bound to happen sometime) and Biedrins' missing his 18th consecutive double-double by 1 rebound, Anthony Morrow managed to step up and carry the team on his fragile, undrafted shoulders.
When Belinelli dropped 37 points in his preseason opener we thought we might have something special. Then his numbers started dropping dramatically as his competition level rose, and now Belinelli rides the bench most nights, keeping Marcus Williams and Rob Kurz company. When Morrow exploded for 37 against the Clippers Saturday night, a similar thought crossed my mind - fluke.
Thinking about it further, though, I'm not so sure it was a fluke. Belinelli blew up in the preseason against preseason opponents. Morrow managed his career night against "top" competition. In fact, Morrow spent much of his 37 point night lighting up former Warriors favorite Baron Davis - not known for his stellar defense, but definitely a star-caliber player.
Other notes on the game:
1. Jackson came up big. His 10 points in the 4th quarter alone were of the utmost importance in keeping this team afloat against a Portland team that wouldn't quit.
2. The Biedrins oddity continues. Biedrins had his worst game of the year (17 and 10, still pretty darn good) and the Warriors came away with their biggest win so far.
3. Interior defense. LaMarcus Aldridge scored only 4 points in 20 minutes - something you can thank Corey Maggette for. Aldridge fouled out after Maggette managed to draw THREE offensive fouls against the big man.
4. Scrappy play wins games. Like in most games so far this season, the Warriors struggled down the stretch. Tonight they got some scrappy play from Buike and Jackson to keep them in the game including a couple blocked Greg Oden shots and some gritty offensive boards.
Andris May Not Be the Answer
Stats suggest a dose of BWright may cure what ails us.
Still relatively new to the world of Warriors media, I stumbled upon some pretty useful resources today. Turns out the Warriors put together nice little stat packages and game notes for the media elite before every game. After a brief glance at some of these materials, I've come to this conclusion - or more of a humble admission: Andris Biedrins may not be the go-to guy I've touted him to be.
At least not yet.
Looking at the numbers one thing that stuck out at me was the Win/Loss statistical split. I've always thought Andris needed to play better, get bigger numbers, for the Dubs to win consistently. Turns out when Andris plays better, the Warriors lose.
Granted we're only 10 games in. But of those 10 games, six have been losses - and in losing contests AB is averaging an inspired 17 points along with 16 rebounds, under 2 TOs, and fewer than 4 personal fouls per game. Those are great numbers. Plain and simple.
You would expect that type of production from your center to win games. In the Warriors' four wins, however, Andris' numbers drop noticeably despite more playing time. In wins, AB's scoring drops to 16 points per game, his rebounding dips all the way to 13 boards, he averages almost 2.5 TOs and an even 5 personal fouls. In fact, there's only one area that Andris actually plays noticeably better in wins: free throw percentage. In victory, Biedrins is averaging almost 70% from the line, whereas in defeat, his free throw accuracy sinks to 58%.
So what gives? I honestly couldn't tell you. I'm a staunch Biedrins supporter and a firm believer in that he is a future leader of this club. But these numbers just don't support that opinion.
Also, in case you were wondering, the stat that jumps out most across the whole Warriors roster when it comes to W/L splits takes us to Brandan Wright. In Warriors wins so far this year BWright. In wins, he averages over 10 ppg. In losses, less than 6 ppg.
A Brief History of Mullin
From the always quality writings of Nickel Dime Dubs
My good friend GDub, over at Nickel Dime Dubs, wrote the following quality piece grading Mullin's tenure as Warriors GM. With Mully almost completely out the door (see Jackson's secret contract negotiations with Rowell) it's most certainly time to look back, and fondly.
There's not much I have to argue from GDub's article, so I won't nag too much. Even so, I want to add a couple items to the discussion:
1. Mullin's draft history is better than you think. We all know that the Warriors' selections of Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins were excellent picks. Maybe you could include Randoph in there, too, but it's probably too soon to tell. But Mullin also needs to get due credit in drafting Brandan Wright - ok trading for his rights on draft day - Belinelli, and Diogu as well. It may seem like Belinelli was a bit of a stretch getting picked at #18 overall, but you have to remember the Warriors had just picked up a high-potential PF in Wright, making a reach for Belinelli seem much more reasonable. In addition, Diogu proved to be a valuable draft pick playing more than a small role in the Pacers trade for Harrington and Jackson. Even though he's now moved on to the Blazers, Diogu's youth and potential were an attractive sweetener that helped move the historically poor contracts of the two-headed DunMurphy.
2. The Dunleavey, Murphy, and Foyle contracts may not have been so bad. There's one major reason why I'm concerned about shedding salary to be a player in the upcoming free agency orgies - I'm not sure any superstars want to play for Golden State. Mullin recognized this as a problem - one thing Arenas and Brand proved to us over the summer is money does not a contract make - you have to have an attractive organization as well. Keep that in mind when evaluating the DUNMURFOYLE (oh yeah!) contracts. At least part of those deals (remember this is not an excuse) was an attempt to show players around the league, "hey, we take care of our own, come be a Warrior". Nonetheless, after trading Dunleavy and Murphy, waiving Foyle, losing Baron to the Clips, and fining Ellis $3 million, you have to wonder if Mullin's efforts have more than been erased by now.
And now, without further ado:May 2004 – Hires Mike Montgomery as Head Coach
Mullin takes a chance on longtime friend and collegiate coach Mike Montgomery who had no prior NBA coaching experience. Monty sticks around for two unremarkable years before getting fired by Mullin. Montgomery suffers from a respect factor that he was never able to obtain from his players. Monty didn’t have the horses to win, but he was also clearly not cut out to be an NBA head coach. This was not a disastrous hiring, but certainly a questionable one.
GRADE: C-
June 2004 – Drafts Andris Biedrins
Mullin gets a lot of credit for this one. He did extensive scouting of Biedrins and was willing to take the risk on a “project” player. Finding a quality big in the late lottery is a tough task as us Warrior fans know (Carlos Rodgers, Clifford Rozier, Adonal Foyle, Todd Fuller, POB – wow this is painful). Mullin gets high marks for diagnosing Biedrins raw athleticism, coordination, and skill and projecting that into the player he has become.
GRADE: A
July 2004 – Re-signs Adonal Foyle to a 6 year $42M contract
Quite simply the worst move of Mullin’s tenure. Everyone knew it almost immediately too. Mullin basically admitted he overpaid Adonal because had been such a good volunteer and locker room presence. Problem: this does not help you win basketball games. Lavishing Foyle with this excessive contract was a huge mistake from the very beginning. At the time Foyle was at best a back-up center. Foyle has since been bought out, but is still counting against our salary cap and is little more than a body at the end of the Magic bench.
GRADE: F
July 2004 – Signs FA guard Derek Fisher to a 6 year $37M contract
This is a signature Warrior deal. Good player, decent contract value, does not work out. Fisher came to the Warriors with a championship pedigree. We may have overpaid slightly, but not by much considering he was our starting point guard. Fisher played decently, but was asked to do more than he was capable of. As we learned in the Utah series, when put in the correct role Fisher can be very valuable. I can’t knock Mully too much for this one as Fisher still remains a solid player.
GRADE: B-
July 2004 - Acquires center Dale Davis and guard Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for guard Nick Van Exel.
A classic addition by subtraction trade. Mullin clears out a disgruntled player and receives two expiring contracts that would later become very useful.
GRADE: B
November 2004 – Signs Jason Richardson to a 6 year $70M contract extension
Mullin commits to J-Rich as the franchise player, locking him up long term for big money. Richardson was a highlight reel and had made consistent progress, but he was not an all-star caliber player. While I like the idea of bringing some stability and continuity to the franchise, it’s hard to justify such a commitment to a player that cannot carry you to the next level. Don’t get me wrong, J-Rich is a very good player, but Mullin paid him great player money. Try as he might, Richardson could never become a true difference maker and thus could not justify his contract.
GRADE: C+
November 2004 – Signs Troy Murphy to a 6 year $58M contract extension
Another horrible contract from Mully. Instead of recognizing his team’s shortcomings and starting over, Mullin commits heavier to the same roster that had just gone 37-45 and lost its best player (Arenas) due to a lack of financial flexibility. While Murphy looks like a serviceable player he clearly isn’t getting us over the hump, so there is little logic in committing to him and Richardson for the long term. As it turns out, Murphy regresses, becoming softer and all too willing to launch shots from the perimeter.
GRADE: D-
March 2005 – Acquires guard Baron Davis from the New Orleans Hornets for guard Speedy Claxton and forward Dale Davis
The first sign from Mully that he has the wits for the job. Mullin pulls off an absolute steal by grabbing Davis and his contract for cap fodder. Davis breathes new life into this stagnant franchise. His swagger and star power are something the bay area had not seen since the Run TMC days. When motivated and healthy Baron is a true difference maker on the court. For the next 3+ years he is the face of the franchise and our one legitimate star.
GRADE: A
June 2005 – Drafts Ike Diogu, Monta Ellis and Chris Taft
Another spectacular draft by Mullin. He absolutely steals Ellis in the 2nd round as questions about the high schooler’s knee and position drop him. Ellis rates behind only CP3, Deron Williams, and possibly Bynum and Granger among 2005 draftees. Diogu was a bit of a reach, but he filled a big time need as a low post scorer. Taft was an ineffective pick, largely due to injury and motivation issues. He had the talent though and at that point in the draft you can’t ask for much more.
GRADE: A-
November 2005 – Signs Mike Dunleavy to a 5 year $45M contract extension
Mullin again fails to recognize what is not working and instead commits more money. Dunleavy was a spectacular failure in Golden State. Taken with the third overall pick Dunleavy was compared to Bird coming out of college. However, his weak frame, tentative nature, inconsistent shooting, and general look of disinterest made him a target of fans’ ire. Dunleavy had enough potential to consider keeping around as a role player. The contract handed out by Mullin was much too hefty for a player as limited as Dun Dun.
GRADE: D+
June 2006 – Drafts Patrick O’Bryant and Kosta Perovic
Not a spectacular failure, but a failure nonetheless. O’Bryant and Perovic leave the Warriors after two years and zero production. In fairness to Mullin and both players, Don Nelson never gave them a chance to prove they could play. The fact that management chose not to pick up O’Bryant’s very affordable option tells you how they felt about him as well. Two wasted draft picks. At least we still have our POB jokes.
GRADE: D
July 2006 – Acquires guards Devin Brown, Keith McLeod and Andre Owens from the Utah Jazz for guard Derek Fisher
This trade was all about dumping salary. With the arrival of Davis and the extensions of Richardson, Murphy, and Dunleavy, Mullin unloads Fisher to shave down the payroll. A seemingly minor move, this comes back to haunt us over the next two years as we futilely search for a back-up point guard for Davis. Fisher also is a big contributor as the Jazz eliminate the Warriors from the second round of the playoffs. This trade would not have been necessitated if not for the large extensions handed out in prior months.
GRADE: C-
August 2006 – Hires Don Nelson as head coach
Mullin uses his strong relationship with Nelson to bring the mad genius back to the Bay. Nelson immediately changes the Warriors style, importing his up-tempo/fast break offense from Dallas. Nelson’s system makes a lot of Mullin’s moves look good (Ellis, Biedrins) and a lot of Mullin’s moves look bad (Murphy, Dunleavy, POB). Without a doubt, bringing Nelson in to coach this mismatch bunch was a great move and one that only Mully could have pulled off. He deserves all the credit here.
GRADE: A+
January 2007 – Acquires forward Al Harrington, guard Stephen Jackson, guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, and forward Josh Powell from Indiana for forwards Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and Ike Diogu
Mullin atones for many of his past mistakes and gets great value in return. This is the ultimate trade. We unload our bloated contracts and ineffective players and take back reasonable contracts and impact players. It would have been a major coup to find another team willing to take on Dunleavy or Murphy in return for an expiring contract. Instead we get Jackson, who is now the star and playmaker of our team, and Harrington, who has been a very useful role player and tough match-up for opponents. This trade reshaped the roster completely moving from a traditional, half court team to a dynamic small-ball run-and-gun team. The trade finally gave Nelson the players he so desperately needed to run his schemes. As a direct result of this trade, the Warriors made an epic late season run to the playoffs and the rest is history. This move also gave the Warriors much more long term financial freedom. Did I mention this was a good trade?
GRADE: A+
January 2007 – Signs guard Kelenna Azubuike from the D-League
A great find from Mullin as he mines a true D-League gem. Azubuike produced in college and the D-League, but couldn’t catch on with an NBA team. It took a trade and rash of injuries for the Warriors to give him a chance, but he took full advantage of it. Given Kelenna’s strength, explosiveness, defense, and tenacity it seems crazy that he was not a roster. Props to Mullin for identifying his abundant talent.
GRADE: A
June 2007 – Drafts Marco Belinelli, Jermareo Davidson, and Stephane Lasme
This draft is starting to resemble the 2006 draft. So far Belinelli has only been a Summer League sensation. I am not a big believer in Marco. He has an inconsistent shot (supposedly his strength) and is an atrocious defender. He has not had a chance to prove me wrong, but I see him heading the way of POB.
GRADE: C-
June 2007 – Acquires the draft rights to Brandan Wright and a $9.9M trade exception for guard Jason Richardson and the draft rights to Jermareo Davidson
I was a huge proponent of this trade, but pretty soon I’m going to have to start re-evaluating it. I think the Warriors overpaid for J-Rich and clearing his contract was necessary for the future signings of Beans and Ellis. It’s hard to argue that we didn’t sorely missed Richardson last year when one more solid rotation player could have easily put us over the hump and into the playoffs. This move was all about the long term though. Instead of a one year playoff run, we get to enjoy Beans, Ellis, and Wright over the next several years. It looks like having the flexibility to sign Beans and Ellis will pay dividends. The other half of the trade is hard to tell. I liked Wright out of UNC, but right now he does not bring a whole lot to the table. He can kinda rebound and kinda score garbage buckets, but there’s a lot of guys that do those things. I’m still waiting for him to fill out, become a defensive presence and develop some offensive game. Maybe it’s not going to happen. Nelson does not seem to like B-Wright, while Mully loves him. This part of the trade is still too early to call. The $10M trade exception was also an interesting asset. Until we didn’t use it. Don’t think I can blame Mully here; I’ll put that one on ownership.
GRADE: B-
September 2007 – Signs forward Austin Croshere and guard Troy Hudson to one year contracts
Good intentions, but didn’t really work out. Hudson was signed to be the backup to Davis, but he got injured in the preseason and that was it for him. Croshere provided some spark off the bench, but injuries also restrained him. I think these were shrewd, low-risk moves by Mullin. Without the injuries both could have provided depth and been key role players.
GRADE: B-
January 2008 – Signs FA forward Chris Webber to a one year contract
I won’t give Mully too much of the blame for this one, but it’s a pretty bad one. This move was Nellie’s brain child from start to finish. While DN is a brilliant basketball mind I don’t know how he didn’t see this disaster coming. The doomed marriage seemed obvious from the day CWebb became a rumor. I was there for Webb’s first game back against the Bulls and the opening possession told the whole story. Warriors get a steal on defense and Webber leaks out for a one on one break. He moves in slow motion to the hoop, gets flustered and misses an easy lay-up right at the rim. The vintage CWebb is showboating and dunking on that play. We have the lumbering, creaky version. Needless to say Webber is no help to us and possibly costs us some games that we desperately needed (including the Bulls game). Mullin mercifully pulls the plug on the experiment 9 games in.
GRADE: D
June 2008 – Drafts Anthony Randolph and Richard Hendrix
Definitely too early to tell on this one, but that’s never stopped me before. Randolph just looks like a player. He has all the tools to be a star in this league and seems to be a prototypical Nellie player as he creates mismatches at every position. I liked the Hendrix pick initially, but now he is duplicated by Turiaf, so I don’t see where he gets minutes. At least Hendrix made the team despite a training camp injury which is all you can ask for a 2nd round pick.
GRADE: B+
July 2008 – Baron Davis opts out of contract and signs 5 year $65M contract with L.A. Clippers
This one is hard to judge because there are various reports that Mullin had a deal in place with Baron that was shot down by Rowell. I’ll just evaluate it on the surface. Davis was a great player for the Warriors and a fantastic acquisition. However, he is a flawed player with questions about his durability, age and motivation. Given these concerns the Warriors could not afford to commit huge money to him long term. Baron may have caught the Warriors by surprise when he opted out of his $17M option, but they did the smart thing by not over-paying him like the Clippers. His departure freed up salary cap space to use this summer and into the future. Baron had a great run as a Warrior and one more year would have been perfect. But as the great Bill Walsh used to say, I’d rather get rid of a player one year too early than one year too late.
GRADE: B
July 2008 – Signs FA forward Corey Maggette to a 5 year $50M contract
Maggette is a solid player, but Mullin overpaid him. A lot of that has to do with Golden State being a second tier market, we have to pay a premium to lure free agents here. I would have preferred to save our cap space for a more dynamic player. Maggette is efficient and will help us win. He is just not a star player as his contract would indicate. Mullin will get all the credit or blame for this one as he was out front and center on Maggette’s signing.
GRADE: C-
July 2008 – Signs FA forward Ronny Turiaf to a 4 year $17M contract
Mullin finally lands the role player we have been lacking. For years we have been getting abused by the tough, brawny Turiaf’s of the league. Now we finally have one of our own to combat against. Mullin was able to lure Turiaf away from the Lakers by cleverly front loading his contract to maximize L.A.’s luxury tax hit. A smart and valuable pick-up for Mullin and the Dubs.
GRADE: A-
July 2008 – Acquires guard Marcus Williams from the Nets for a protected 1st round draft choice.
Like the BWright trade, initially I liked this move. However, after a full training camp to learn the offense Williams is beat out by an undrafted rookie and a former D-Leaguer for point guard duties. It’s hard for me to evaluate Williams because I’ve rarely seen him play. Nelson sure has not had a problem determining Williams does not deserve any court time. I would like to say it’s still early, but now Williams is taking a back seat to another undrafted rookie (Kurz) and is not even dressing for games. It looks like this experiment is over before it ever began. At least he didn’t cost us too much.
GRADE: D+
July 2008 – Signs guard Monta Ellis to a 6 year $67M contract
Mullin can only be graded by his move at the time it was made. When Ellis signed the contract the value seemed about right. Any contract signed by Ellis was going to be a risk because of his age and because he had never been counted on to be the franchise player. The moped accident just led to more risk and uncertainty. Mullin could not have foreseen this and did well to hang on to Ellis without going overboard. Mullin also negotiated a “flat” deal, so Monta makes the same $11M per season with no escalation, saving us future salary cap room.
GRADE: B
July 2008 – Signs center Andris Biedrins to a 6 year $54M contract
Although, officially reported at $62M, the unlikely performance bonuses essentially make this contract a tidy $54M deal. Like Ellis, Mullin signs Biedrins to a contract roughly equal to his value. Again the contract is risky due to Andris’ continuing development. However, these are the players you want to hang on to; guys you have won with and who are still improving. With Biedrins recent run of stellar play this contract may turn out to be a downright steal. Beans’ deal is also a smart “flat” contract.
GRADE: A-
Note: Jackson signing is omitted because Jackson acknowledges he worked exclusively with Rowell on his 3 year $28M contract extension.
OVERALL REPORT CARD:
DRAFT: B+
Mullin hit home runs with his first two drafts landing franchise players Biedrins and Ellis in the late-lottery and 2nd round. He also drafted Diogu, who was a mistake, but was wisely able to trade him while he still had value.
Mullin’s past three draft classes have been largely inconspicuous. O’Bryant never got any run in Golden State and the ultimate insult was not picking up his ultra cheap 3rd year option. Wright, Belinelli, and Randolph all came to the Warriors with much anticipation. Unfortunately, that’s still all they are as players: hype and excitement. None of these players have gotten a consistent chance to show their stuff on the court. This is expected for Randolph, a rookie who looks to have all the tools necessary to succeed in a Nellie system. It is disconcerning that Wright and Belinelli still can’t get regular minute in Nelson’s rotation in their second years. At least their options have been picked up, so it appears they are at least in the team’s future plans unlike POB.
Mullin has done a fine job of identifying talent in the draft. Nelson has done a mixed job of utilizing it; developing Ellis and Biedrins, but thus far ignoring Wright, Belinelli, and Randolph. The jury is still out on several of Mullin’s draft picks, but at least each looks like they have the talent to succeed in the league.
FREE AGENCY: C-
Mullin’s biggest weakness. He is a player’s GM and as such is reluctant to show the financial discipline necessary when negotiating contracts. Mullin doled out huge money to company man Adonal Foyle. The contract seemed more like a reward for being a nice guy than a sound basketball investment. Similarly, Mullin had a hard time saying “no” to Murphy, Dunleavy and Richardson. Mullin ignored the team’s abysmal record and lack of promise by locking these players into long-term deals that seemed destined to produce years of mediocrity. Mullin’s desire to take care of his players led to excessive contracts for mediocre players, which can be crippling to a franchise.
To his credit, he has improved in this area with his recent deals for Ellis, Biedrins, and Turiaf. However, with money man Rowell taking a more prominent role in the organization, it’s hard to tell how much Mullin was involved in these contracts.
TRADES: A
This is the area Mullin really has shone. His excellence in the trade market almost allows us to give him a pass on his disastrous signings. He managed to ship the bloated contracts of Dunleavy, Murphy and Richardson to unsuspecting teams. Remarkably, none of the moves were pure salary dumps as he was able to get quality in return as well. Due to his crafty maneuvering, Foyle became the only truly “bad” contract that we were not able to unload.
In addition to shedding unwanted players for quality players, Mullin also landed us a franchise player via the trade market. Rare is the trade that brings in a face of the franchise in return for some old gym socks and an athletic supporter, but that is exactly what Mully accomplished with the BD trade. Boom Dizzle gave the Warriors an identity and swagger that had not been seen around the Arena since the Run TMC days.
Mullin’s two largest team transformations have come via the trade. He added a franchise player and discarded two rejects with bad contracts for two contributors with good contracts. Mullin has been a master of the trade both in improving the Warrior’s roster and payroll.
IDENTITY: A-
Mullin commands respect as a Hall of Fame player. He gave the franchise instant credibility when he signed on as Executive VP and after a rocky start has built on his reputation.
You hate to think back to before Mullin came onboard, back when the Warriors were constantly searching for a player, coach, or executive that could lead them in a direction. Any direction. Well the Warriors have a direction now and Mullin deserves some of the credit for the entertaining, scrappy, oddball team he has assembled. I give the majority of the credit to Nelson for bringing his dynamic system back to the Bay, but you cannot forget that Mullin was the man who convinced Nellie to come back for one more run. While Nellie and Baron are the figures most responsible for creating the team’s identity, it was Mullin who was responsible for luring them to Oakland.
Unbelievably for Warriors fans, our team has gained league wide respect. Following our “We Believe” run of 2007, the Warriors were the hottest team in the league. We even had Snoop Dogg hopping from the Lakers bandwagon onto ours. We were the electrifying, unpredictable, undersized, lovable underdogs and the toast of the league. Things have definitely cooled down since then, but the team is still well respected throughout the league.
OVERALL GRADE: B+
The bottom line:
Roster before Mullin:
PG – Van Exel, Claxton, Johnson
SG – Richardson, Cheaney
SF – Dunleavy, Pietrus, Cardinal
PF –Robinson, Murphy
C – Dampier, Foyle
Today’s current roster:
PG – Ellis, Watson, Williams
SG – Jackson, Azubuike, Belinelli
SF – Maggette, Randolph, Morrow
PF – Wright, Turiaf, Harrington
C – Biedrins, Turiaf
Mullin has added tons of talent, most of it young and still developing. The difference between what Mullin started with and what he has created is night and day. For cleaning up the wreckage, bringing in promising talent, creating an identity and giving fans hope for a brighter future, Mullin deserves tons of credit.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Stephen Jackson Gets a Contract Extension
Almost as bizarre as Harold and Kumar. Almost.
Today the Warriors announced they have come to a deal with Captain Jack on a three year extension that will keep Jackson around until 2013. The deal comes as little surprise - the extension has been talked about openly by Jackson for weeks now - but is somewhat questionable given the franchise's current position.
Don't get me wrong, I love Jack. I love those no, no, no, YES 3 pointers we've come to know him for - you know, when you're absolutely sure he's going to shoot it 10 seconds before he actually does? But I've also come to realize Jack is not necessarily the best future for these Warriors. In fact, I've even advocated trading the guy.
Which I still do. The strangest thing about this extension is that Jackson already had two years left on his deal. He was going to be around. We could have worked this out later, in his contract year. LIKE NORMAL TEAMS DO IT. Instead we opted to lock a 30 year old Jack up long term. When he's averaging the most minutes out of anybody in the league.
First the loss of Baron, then the Maggette contract disaster - the age of Rowell looks like it may just as frustrating as the age preceding him. We'll talk more on Jackson's contract soon, when details become available.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Can We Get Morrow That?
An undrafted rookie proves his worth.
Great title, huh?
In all seriousness, though, Saturday night's game showed us a glimpse of the Warriors of the future - and Anthony Morrow has a big part in it. Saturday's lineup featured an unorthodox formula - Andris at center surrounded by 4 shooting guards - Morrow, Jackson, Buike, and Maggette. Sure, everyone was technically playing a different position out on the court, but you're not fooling anyone, Nellie - those are four shooting guards out there.
If you haven't heard yet, Morrow lit it up in his first professional start. Lit it up as in missed only 5 shots all night - scoring 37 in the process. Morrow is proving to be a very valuable asset, not just because he's making next to nothing this season ($442k), but also because he's a more than adequate Harrington replacement.
For all his skill and athleticism, Al Harrington has really only had one major role with the Golden State Warriors since we picked him up in '06 - stretch the defense. Since Al hit the bench with his "sore" back, the Warriors have struggled in their offense mainly because defenders can pack the lane without having to worry about consistent outside shooters. Boy did Morrow make them pay.
Hitting 4 of 5 from behind the arc is impressive enough. Doing so while missing only 4 other shots IN TOTAL is just plain ridiculous. Morrow's shooting is consistent enough that, like with Harrington, teams will have to stretch their defense to guard the 3 point line with more intensity, which in turn should open up the lane for penetration by Maggette, Jackson, and Azubuike.
Voila - offensive problems solved. Hopefully winning ways will follow.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Biedrins is the Ultimate Team-First Guy
Andris is dedicated to the franchise in more ways than one.
Monta Ellis got a $66 million deal over the offseason. He responded by tearing up his ankle in one of the more convoluted injuries in recent history. Andris Biedrins got a $54 million deal over the offseason. Did you hear a peep about how he responded?
Probably not. Mainly because Andris kept his head down, choosing to focus on improving his game instead of freewheeling around on forbidden motorbikes. Biedrins spent the summer starring in the lead role for the Latvian national team. Haven't you been wondering where his newfound confidence has been coming from? AB has emerged from the pack as an entirely new player this season - one ready to shoulder more and more responsibility. He's already averaging almost 17 points and 15 rebounds per game - and he's still getting better.
Not only has Andris been a model employee in the gym and on the court, he's also taken a huge hit for the team on paper. For the production we're getting this season it seems Andris is well worth the $9 million he's slated to be making. Biedrins' production looks to be slightly less than, say, Carlos Boozer, but Boozer is making $11 million this year. Biedrins' numbers are even better than Bobcats center Emeka Okafor's (10 ppg, 10 rpg) who is making $9.5 million this year.
Where the Warriors really come away looking like bandits, though, is a few years down the road. Andris is locked into a fixed salary of $9 million per year over the next 6 years. During that time, Boozer is looking to lock up a max contract that could pay him upwards of $22 million. Meanwhile Emeka Okafor will be making around $14.5 million in 2014, and he doesn't look like he's getting much better anytime soon. Yup, Andris will still be making a measly $9 million while his piers - and lessers - rake in the big money, providing the Warriors with valuable cap space to pay for players to surround AB and Monta.
Now that's the kind of player you can build a franchise around.
Warriors 102 - 107 Pistons
Maggette disappoints again.
So close, and yet so far. That's been the story of the season so far for the Warriors. Pushing opponents right to the edge - just up against the breaking point - and then floundering at the finish. And it's time to start pointing fingers.
Corey Maggette managed only 7 combined points in the 4th quarters of the close New Jersey win and not-so-close Memphis loss he played in this season. Tonight Maggette struggled even more shooting an abysmal 2-7 from the field and only managing 2 points in the fourth.
That's just not enough production from your key Free Agent acquisition. Not to mention the fact he's been riding the bench with a lingering hamstring injury as well. Maggette, you disappoint me. Where's the top tier scorer from the Clippers? Where's the guy who can draw the foul in big situations and put the game away from the stripe? This is why we overpaid for you, Maggs! It's time to earn that paycheck for once!
For every slam Maggette takes for tonight's lackluster performance, however, Captain Jack deserves a punch to the groin. The heart and soul of the team was more or less just taking up space in the fourth quarter tonight. Jack managed to play almost 10 minutes in the fourth, where he was a perfect 0-5 from the field for 0 points. Oh yeah. He also managed to clang out a technical free throw in the waning minutes of a close game.
The bright spot in this tough loss shouldn't surprise anyone after the play of Jax and Maggs, but Andris Biedrins continues to show he's ready for a prime time role on this team. Biedrins started calling his number a little more often, trailing only Jackson in FGA with 16. While Jackson shot a gentleman's 26%, Andris managed his 17 points on 50% shooting. Andris also pulled down 19 boards, extending his double-double streak to 16 and narrowly missing his second 20 rebound game of the year.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Maggette Looks to Make an Impact
The need for something more.
Watching Andris and Kelenna shoot around during pre-game warmups tonight, I was treated with a pleasant surprise. A jovial Corey Maggette came bounding out of the player's tunnel and onto the court for some shooting of his own. Relieved, I thought to myself we may have a chance against a supercharged Pistons team after all.
It's clear this team has struggled to close out games. Stephen Jackson can only play so many minutes before he breaks down and collapses into a heap on the court. That's why Cory Maggette is so important to this team right now. It's not that Maggette offers anything the Warriors didn't have before - penetration, athleticism, etc - it's that he is the sort of player who can shoulder some of the load come crunch time. Maybe get to the line once or twice for easy points. The Warriors have missed that aspect of Maggette's game dearly since he hit the pine with a hamstring injury.
Tonight we find out if getting him back is enough to get this team winning again.
No Matter What Happens, Mully Comes Out On Top
One of Golden State's best players and some of Golden State's best years.
According to multiple sources, Robert Rowell has fired assistant GM Pete D'Allesandro. D'Allesandro also served as Mully's right hand man - so of course his departure doesn't bode well for our beloved Chris.
The Warriors can't win in this one, though. When they release Mullin at the end of this season, there are only two things that can happen - they can get better or they can get worse. Either way Mullin will always be remembered as the man who brought about the inspired playoff run and the We Believe era.
Let's look at the more likely scenario first - the Dubs young core of Monta, Biedrins, Wright, and Randolph gets good. Really good. Paired with Stephen Jackson's pending extension these guys could be contenders in a few years. In this case it's a no brainer. Mully's the guy who drafted all four of those guys, as well as the one who engineered the Jackson/Harrington heist. This one goes down as point Mullin.
There's still a chance this team isn't on it's way to greatness. Andris looks promising but there are still questions as to whether or not Monta will come back as the same player. BWright has shown glimpses of NBA-readiness, but his progress has been slow and he's still mistake-prone. Without any real leadership (Jack can only do so much) these kids may flounder and wind up idling in mid-lottery land. Nonetheless what people will remember is WITHOUT MULLIN = 38 win mediocrity ; WITH MULLIN = 48 win seasons and 1st round playoff thrillers.
Warriors VS Pistons
Roll the dice and hope for the best.
Tonight the new-look Pistons come into the Oracle and the Dubs are going to struggle to send them home with an L. Iverson historically plays very well in Oakland, averaging almost 36 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals. On top of that, Tayshaun Prince has begun to play up to his potential since Iverson started diverting attention away. And with Harrington out, and Maggette a game-time decision again, this could be another long night for the youngsters.
Keys to the game:
Feed AB the ball - Andris is going to have to shoulder some of the offensive load tonight.
Shut down AI - Stephen Jackson is most likely going to defend against the Answer, and should focus on being a D Stopper tonight instead of scoring the ball.
Get production from the youngsters - Wright, Randolph, Azubuike, and Watson are all going to have to chip in on the offensive end so Jax can focus on his defensive game.
Prediction
Warriors 92 - 103 Pistons
The Future of the Franchise
Going green.
I'm not going to beat around the bush here. This team is not ready to win a championship. There's too much turmoil in the front office, Maggette's contract looks worse every day, and Al Harrington has one foot out the door. The Warriors find themselves at an impasse yet again and it's a mystery which way they'll head this time - trade Harrington? Sign Jackson to an extension? The options are there, but the right decision isn't so clear.
Our young coresters - Monta, Andris, Wright, Belinelli, and Randolph - are all locked up in contracts for a good while now. Maggette looks like he may never step on the court again and Harrington is at home faking a bad back until he's traded. The Warriors should try to move these guys.
Here's what I would do. Trade Maggette, Harrington, and Jackson to New York for up-and-comer David Lee and, you got it, Stephen Marbury.
Just like the Jacksonington for Dunmurphy trade of Warriors lore, this trade benefits both parties. D'Antoni would get three shiny new toys for his 7-seconds offense. Don't forget Harrington is still a very special 4 with a unique ability to stretch the D from the PF position. Furthermore, the Warriors would get another young player to develop in Lee, point guard stability for the remainder of this season (Marbury is a cancer but also a former All-Star), and an insane amount of cap space for the 2009 and 2010 Free Agent classes.
That's enough to sign TWO of the following names to max contracts while still preserving a young core of Monta, Biedrins, Wright, and Randolph:
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Yao Ming, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Josh Howard, Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Tony Parker, Andre Kirilenko.
Looking at that list it's hard not to want to have a piece of the action. Those are my thoughts, how bout yours?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A New Breed of Warriors Discussion
Let's just get this thing taken care of.
It's pretty widely known that Warriors fans are some of the more knowledgeable fans in the league. And being one of those fans myself, I've found there is a gaping void in one particular media facet: the fanblog. Sure there is the common-man's GSOM and the more journalistic Fast Break. But in between Warriors fans have been lacking a grounded-yet-intelligent-mega-fan. Which is why we're all here.
We'll get to know each other a lot more over the coming seasons, and you'll discover my player biases, general attitude towards mopeds, and love for the Bay Area team that I grew up with. Always encouraging user comments, so please feel free to contribute yourselves.
It's another period of transition for our Warriors this season, and right off the bat we'll have plenty of news to discuss - from Monta's ankle to Al's need to get out of the Bay. There's still work to be done, but this could be the beginning of a new Warriors era.
