The Golden State Warriors had more than a decade of futility. Then Don Nelson came back and you know the story: run and gun, playoffs, first-round upset, The Dunk, and general good times.
Last year saw more wins, but a rough and tumble West still left them two games out of the playoffs. The off season wasn't supposed to be a big deal. Conventional thinking was the team would re-sign Baron Davis, Monta Ellis and Andris Biendris and make another playoff run.
But Davis bolted to make movie trailers, the Mississippi Bullet got a big fat contract and promptly got hurt under suspicious circumstances, and Warriors fans should prepare themselves for another year without the playoffs.
Additons:
In a move that was probably somewhat panicky, Corey Maggette got a big fat $50 million contract. The buff swingman is not known for defense, passing, or being a team player, but the last time he averaged over 22 points and 5 rebounds last year. He gets to the line and hits a good clip, and with the green light, he can be a legitimate 25 points a game scorer. I still don't think him and Steven Jackson can co-exist for extended periods of time.
Looking to shore up the back court, the Warriors gave the Nets a first-round draft pick for Marcus Williams. Besides a brief laptop incident, Williams was seen to have great potential in the draft a few years ago. He slipped, and never quite found his groove. This could be attributed to him being out of shape, or just never having time to play behind Jason Kidd, but Warriors fans are pinning a lot of hopes on him.
He should have the starting point guard spot, and if he's in shape, the offense will suit his skills. While he's not a dead-eye shooter, I could easily see him developing into a steady, Andre Miller-type point guard in the next few years. There's going to be some growing pains, but it was a very nice low-risk move.
Ronnie Turiaff can do more than star in viral videos, and his hustle and enthusiasm will quickly make him a fan favorite. At $17 million, his contract is a bit high, but he'll give the team good defense, boards, heart, and of course, dancing.
The Dubs drafted the skinny lefty Anthony Randolph out of LSU with the number 14 pick. The always-excellent Draftexpress said he's "6-10 or 6-11, incredibly long, left-handed, fluid, quick, explosive off his feet, with great open-court speed." The rook had a good summer league, but I don't see how he's going to find time with the crowded swing rotation, not to mention second-year, 6'11 lefty Brandon Wight.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Golden State Warriors articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
6 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete