The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record in the '90s and beyond with 12-straight non-playoff seasons before their magical run in the 2006-07 season.
To accomplish such a tremendous feat takes many bone-headed decisions. It's almost like studying in junior high—you receive a "C" for simply showing up to class but it takes that extra effort to earn an "F".
Anyhow, the Warriors found a solid plan of attack with terrible drafting and handing out roster-crippling contracts to offset any draft picks on the path to greatness.
Case in point: Gilbert Arenas. Former GM Garry St. Jean almost sabotaged the team by picking up "Hibachi" in the second round of the 2001 draft, giving the team an emerging superstar that could derail plans of continued peril.
Fear not—by locking up the diabolical front-line of Danny Fortson, Adonal Foyle, and Erick Dampier, the team could not afford to match Washington's offer when he hit restricted free agency.
The scary thing: the aforementioned players simply don't have what it takes to make the All-Time Disaster Team. Here are the winners.
PG: Muggsy Bogues—It was tough to pick Bogues over Earl Boykins as a bigger mismatch for the opposition, but Bogues played for Golden State in the twilight years of his career, giving him the nod.
Bogues was fun to watch, and actually held his own in a time where big point guards became en vogue, but he also led the team to 19-63 and 21-29 records in his two seasons in Golden State.
Today's Must Reads
SG: Bimbo Coles—I'm well-aware that Coles primarily played point guard, but I needed an undersized shooting guard to continue a defensive mismatch for the opposition. I also remember one thing clear as day with Coles—planting both his feet on attempted layups.
You know how you learn as a kid to separate from a defender while attacking the rack by using your 1 1/2 steps to run to the rim after picking up your dribble? Well Bimbo, a professional player at the sport's highest level, never picked up this nuance of the game. Ever!
If your name is Jason Richardson and you can jump over a defender by planting both feet, so be it. But if your vertical jump measures under 30 inches, this is an easy way to turn two points into zero—and an inclusion on the All-Time Disaster Team.
SF: Billy Owens—The No. 3 overall pick in the 1991 Draft out of Syracuse, the Warriors traded Mitch Richmond in his prime for Owens, an easy way to break up Run-TMC and help set back the future of the Warriors.
By my unofficial count, Owens led the league multiple times in losing the ball out of bounds. It was a constant in his tenure, without fail (or in constant fail), that he would have the ball in his hands, try to pass it while running out of bounds, and then lose the ball. It was a talent in itself.
PF: Todd Fuller—The No. 11 pick in the 1996 draft, he was former Warriors draft legend Dave Twardzik's crowning achievement.
Instead of looking for talent in a talent-laden draft that may have led him to the conclusion of taking Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, or Jermaine O'Neal, Twardzik focused on the fact that Fuller had a great G.P.A. at NC State and a blue-collar work ethic.
What resulted was a player who shot more baseline jumpers off the side of the backboard than any other player I have ever encountered.
C: 1988-Season Manute Bol—This was a tough decision as Foyle has a strong resume for this spot as well, but what did it for me was the fact that Bol, at 7-foot-7, shot 91 3-pointers in the 1988 season and made only 20. Imagine the amount of lost possessions with Bol firing errant threes and Fuller being out-rebounded.
Coach: PJ Carlesimo—Lit the fire under his players by being choked in practice by Latrell Sprewell during the '97-'98 season.
There you have it, the reason "We Believe" became such an important slogan—because we became so accustomed to failure.
Note: I am currently quite happy with the direction of this franchise, and feel that Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, and Brandan Wright are the core of a solid team a few years down the line.
comments (8) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
lol, what would you expect from a player named Bimbo.
about 1 month ago
Nothing like watching Manute Bol reach the ball to the back of his neck and then launch 3's.... All day... Those were the days one looked foward to the Sunday morning NBC game...
about 1 month ago
THIS, is a good article.
Enjoyed it.
about 1 month ago
Good stuff.
Chris Washburn was robbed though.
28 days ago
lol what about a mike dunleavy, we couldve gotten one of the best pf/cs in the league in amare stoudemire right after him, but no no no we picked dunleavy. i guess i cant complain too much, he brought us jackson(still not much of a player, launching all of his threes all of the time) but we did make playoffs, but dunleavy and foyle should at least be on the bench
27 days ago
Great topic. I think that the years of gut-wrenching, horrific basketball needs more than just a starting five. I agree all the players named have their place in GSW infamy, but I have to defend a couple. I can't hate on a 5'3" guy who can even make it to the NBA. Bimbo was a point, always played point, and played it horribly for a lot of money, still, not the worst of a myriad of junk points the W's put out for years. Billy Owens was a big disappointment, as most Syracuse players have been, but they did make the playoffs with him, and their downfall coincided with his departure. The big pain with him is he's associated with the Webber debacle and losing Richmond (who I loved), but the W's were stacked with 2's at the time, like Mario Ellie and Šarūnas Marčiulionis. If they had traded with Sacramento before the draft they could've picked Dikimbe, and their never ending search for a big man would have ended. You can't put Fuller as a PF, he was garbage as a center, but most mid-round drafted big men don't make it. You cannot put Manute on this list. He wasn't really a starter, and he was a great man who did tons for his native people, unfortunately to his own detriment.
I'll give you my starting five.
Point- Vonteego Cummings - at a position stacked with garbage, he was the worst. Passed on Jason Terry for this guy. Pair him with Mookie Blaylock and you got the all-no talent backcourt.
2- boby sura - put up okay numbers, but he played like a seven year old, totally out of control, with no sense of team. Injuries coupled with a large salary handcuffed the W's
3 - I take Chris Mills here. As with the 2 guard, the Dubs usually had some talent at this position, makes sense because they are the 2 easiest positions to field. Plus with Mullin and Jamison taking a lot of those years, it really left him and Dunleavy who is a very close second worse to me.
4- Jason Caffey. This guy was given big bucks just because he was on the bulls. He had about 10 points a game, but they were an ugly 10. Have to mention Tom Gugliotta, same reason as Billy Owens, he came in, stunk, and the W's never recovered from losing Webber.
5- Tough here because Beidrins is the best center since big Nate, but I have to go with Victor Alexander. This guy looked like he was asleep every time he took the floor. It's telling that he only had 1 season after the W's let him go.
So some honorable mention, or bench players if you will.
C- Felton Spencer- Proof that Corky from life goes on could've played in the NBA if he was 7' 300lbs.
C- Alton Lister. Yeah, he started and was imortalized and posterized by Shawn Kemp.
F- Jud Buechler- Bench guy, but should have pursued a Beach Volleyball career.
F- Tom Tolbert. How does this guy get a radio show?
Point- Mark Price. Coulda used him five years earlier. Horrible with the W's.
F- Dickey Simpkins - I know he barely played, but I was talking to a scout for the W's at a game one time and he told me that this was the worst player he ever saw play basketball.
Hopefully none of the players on today's roster turn into these guys. Corey Maggette and Marco Bellineli are on watch. Seriously, today's squad would beat an all star team from the years between Webber to Baron every time.
25 days ago
Disagree at least when Bogues was leading the team he gave his all, unlike most players. How do you have Bimbo Coles as a shooting guard when he's a point guard? Here's my list.
For point guards
BJ Armstrong
Mookie Blaylock
Mark Price
Shooting Guard
John Starks
Jim Jackson
Small Forward
Mike Dunleavy Jr he's on here because he never really did anything to constitute being a number 3 pick.
Donald Royal
Mickael Pietrus
Power Forward
Clifford Rozier
Ray Owes
Joe Smith
Center
Rony Seikaly
Tim Young
Andrew Declercq
Erick Dampier
Jeff Foster
Todd Fuller
from 24 days ago
If you read the list, I noted that Coles was a point guard, but since it was my list and I had my own reasoning, I placed him at shooting guard for my disaster team. Bogues tried, but was dominated on the defensive end constantly as a Warrior. Dunleavy Jr. was a much better #3 pick than Owens, and actually helped the team net S-Jax and Harrington, so I'd say it's hard to argue him.
Joe Smith was a mistake as a No. 1 overall pick when players like KG, Stackhouse or Rasheed could have been taken, but he has had a solid if unremarkable career.
Seikaly was terrible as a Warrior, and became a better player again after he left, meaning he didn't care out in Golden State, but I like the idea of Bol missing tons of threes instead. Hard to put Young and Declercq on the list as they were 2nd-rd. picks anyway, and Foster didn't play for the Warriors, he was immediately traded at the draft.
write a new comment