Pivot Points: The Warriors Will Confront Their Future with Roster Intact
For better or worse the Golden State Warriors decided not to wade into the waters of trade activity and are now faced with finishing the season with their current roster, and waiting until the year concludes before making any moves.
It's not really a bad strategy, as most of the players the Warriors were interested in must have come with a price tag that was too high for the team to absorb, so I applaud management for showing restraint—but where do they go now?
With so many integral players injured, it's hard to gauge which areas of need are most pressing, and what value the players who are injured would carry in terms of leveraging with different teams.
The single biggest need as far as the roster goes would probably be an inside presence who has an accompanying physical nature and won't shirk away from defensive responsibilities.
As talented as the Warriors are on the perimeter, their game in the paint needs to be totally rebuilt because, in its present state, the post game prevents the team from being capable of competing with other teams.
It doesn't matter how many rainbow jumpers Stephen Curry hits or how many pretty shots Monta Ellis hits in traffic, until the Warriors make a commitment to consistent rebounding, their future direction will remain the same.
It's hard to understate the value of consistent rebounding because it impacts so many areas of the game and Golden State doesn't have to transform into a premier rebounding team, but they have to give a noticeable effort.
The rebounding will only matter if the players make a concerted effort to improve on the defensive end as well or either import a player who doesn't mind instilling those qualities in the current roster.
Raja Bell has the defensive acumen to be that type of player, but he lacks the overall impact on the rest of the game which would make his defensive play resound with teammates.
One of the major reasons the Denver Nuggets made such an abrupt turnaround was because of the addition of Chauncey Billups and the attitude and toughness he brought on the defensive end.
But his presence wasn't limited in that respect as Billups has proved to be a more than a competent offensive player and he directs the Nuggets' attack with the precision of a seasoned veteran.
Bell doesn't have the talent to affect the Warriors in the same manner, but his attention to the defensive end of the floor could go a long way towards changing the offense-only culture of Golden State.
Those may be the areas of greatest concern, but eventually the Warriors will have to make key personnel decisions which involve members of the team who would be considered their nucleus.
The only member of the team who appears to be safe from scrutiny is rookie point guard Stephen Curry, who has possibly demonstrated the talent which franchise players are made of.
Monta Ellis would appear to be in the same category, but the possibility exists that a team would be willing to offer more than the Warriors could resist, and if that is the case, the team would likely part with him.
Anthony Randolph is probably the only other player who resides in this category and his situation is much like the one facing Ellis, being that the Warriors would prefer to keep him, but may be faced with an offer they can't pass up.
Of course, any move the Warriors make is dependent on the state of management and if they are willing to make the necessary changes for Golden State to be competitive. Don't hold your breath.
