The Golden State Warriors entered the 2008-2009 campaign with some major losses to their line-up.
The Warriors have lost Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, and Mikael Pietrus to the free agency realm this past summer. Oh, and you might have heard: Monta Ellis is probably out until January 2009. To assess this season’s slow start for the youngest team in the NBA, Dave Nemetz, Nuck Chorris, Yama Hazheer, Steve Resnick, and myself are participating in the first ever Bleacher Report Golden State Warriors Rountable. Here are our main focus questions:
- How do you feel about how Don Nelson has handled the young and inexperienced core? Even though the fans (including myself) call for more playing time for the youngsters, we don't expect a sub-par performance. But when they do hit us with a mediocre performance, we are confused. What are your thoughts on that?
- What is the best scenario for Al Harrington now with the Warriors? If you were in the shoes of Chris Mullin at the moment and had to trade Al, who would you trade for? What specific positions would you focus on?
Nuck Chorris
Temporarily abandoning the "do what it takes to win" attitude to focus on team growth surprised me at first. It would seem the loss of Corey Maggette and the situation with Harrington put Nelson in experimental mode. Nelson knows that he will have to be creative with his rotations throughout the year. The absence of Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, and Maggette means more experimentation across the board, as we've seen with Nelson playing both tall and small in the same game. Nelson has done a good job of putting bench players in the right situations to develop more quickly. Nelson is watching Randolph, Wright and even Rob Kurz to see who can give Andris Biedrins some weak side defense without fouling, as uncontested layups and fouls seem to be a problem. By mid December, Nelson should have a refined Monta-less rotation that is more comfortable playing together.
The growing pains will probably make your eyes bleed for the next month, but there really is no better time than now. Better now than down the stretch when that extra chemistry is really going to matter in crunch time.
19 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Joel Creager 7 months ago
Great stuff from everyone!
Thanks Khalid!
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
No problem man. Great job guys. Thanks to all who contributed.
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Yama Hazheer 7 months ago
Nice work to us all. Warriors 4 life.
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
Thanks man. Yup..we all did a good job. Warriors 4 life for sure!
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Dave Morrison 7 months ago
Great article. I think if Captain Jack and the kids can hold the fort down until Ellis gets back, they might be able to make a run. Dallas does not look as good, the Spurs are in trouble, there is going to be a lot more movement in the West when it comes to playoff spots.
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
Definitely man. I'm starting to believe that they might make a push for the playoffs, but I certainly don't want to ride that because I know they will suffer some hearbreaking losses until Monta comes back.
Spurs look like they are in trouble, but I think they aren't necessarily at the moment. I mean it's really early in the season, we're barely ten games into the season and they have won two straight now. Dallas is the team to REALLY be concerned about. Warriors totally destroyed their franchise..haha.
Thanks for comment man.
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GoBears 2008 7 months ago
Good concept and good article.
Captain Jack signed a 3-year, ~$28 million extension today. Do you think this is good or bad for the future of Golden State?
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Yama Hazheer 7 months ago
He'll be around 34 by the end of his contract. I think he could continue playing solid until then. By then, the team will be run by Monta and Andris.
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Dave Nemetz 7 months ago
Interesting, just heard about this. Probably a pretty good length and price. Paying a little bit of a premium, but he is worth that much to us as the undisputed leader of the team with Monta out, and it's good that it's not too long term. Hopefully this motivates him to go out and earn his salary as opposed to resting back now that he got paid.
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
I just read about it. It was coming anyways. I think this move is ultimately a good move in the short run for the BASKETBALL franchise. However, for the front office (ROWELL), it straight out means that he's further complicating or sorry..DESTROYING this franchise. Jackson is not a superstar and it certainly won't be that way when he's 34 or 35. It's just another move Mr. Rowell did so he can make war with Mullin.
The important question is: With Mullin likely leaving the Warriors next summer, will Monta be under the Warriors' control with Mullin away?
For me, it's not going to happened. Mullin is the one who drafted him and he knows what he means to the team. Rowell doesn't give a damn about basketball...it's all about the money and it's written on every expression on his face. But what can you say, the world's a tough place man.
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Garlic boy 7 months ago
Maggette is expendable, Stack wants out, Dallas wants Marbury, New York wants Marbury out, New York wants Harrington, Harrington wants out.
3 team trade that works for everyone.
Mavs get: Corey Maggette and Stephon Marbury
Mavs give up: Kidd, Stackhouse
Golden state gets: Jason Kidd and 2nd round pick from NY and Dallas
Golden state gives up: Maggette to Dallas, Al Harrington + Marcus Williams to NY
NY gets: Al Harrington, Stackhouse, Marcus Williams
Gives up: Marbury to Dallas
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
That's a straight horrible trade to Jason Kidd. If he was 30, then I'd say maybe, but he's 35 and for me, personally, I would rather have a 23-year-old star control the PG spot rather than having a semi-retired player do that.
Why would the Warriors ever give up Maggette for Jason Kidd? That's horrible. Kidd has been nothing short of a disaster for Dallas since he arrived at Dallas. I would rather have Maggette and Ellis play on the same team. I know what you're envisioning here: Kidd at the PG, Monta goes back to his normal SG spot, and Jack goes back to his usual SF spot. But, I just don't want that combination to ever occur. Kidd can't play the heavy minutes he wants SJax, Monta, and Maggette to play. He's 35 and going to retire pretty soon, so that doesn't work out. Sorry, not a good trade in my book. That's my opinion.
But you haven't supported this trade. Would be great if you did. I would like to hear your opinion on it.
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Garlic boy 7 months ago
If you want to play the young guys yet are unwilling to trade Maggette, than you are contradicting yourself.
The only way to play the young guys at the 2/3 spots is to get rid of the minute taker; Maggette (or Jack, but that’s not going to happen).
In order to free up minutes to play the young guys, we have to trade Maggette and Al, but of course he’s already DNP as it is.
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
I'm not contradicting myself Mr. Garlic. I never called for them to be included in the starting line-up, rather to have good solid minutes off the bench. If Al Harrington is out, it would be logical to insert Brandan Wright in there. But tonight, Mr. Garlic, Maggette and the Warriors will have terrible match up problems with Portland. They basically exploit the Warriors match-up in every spot on the court. So, tonight's lineup should look like this: Biedrins, Wright, Corey, Buke, and Jackson. That's the only way these match up exploitations can be resolved. And like you posted the same previous comment on Kawakami's blog, and like you do with the Matt Steinmetz articles on the Examiner too, you have to be a bit realistic with your trades.
Thanks for the comment.
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Garlic boy 7 months ago
Khalid,
You obviously aren't up to date on your B-Ball. Kidd is an expiring contract. He's the perfect mentor for Monta Ellis, CJ and DeMarcus. Kidd is on his last leg, but his leadership, knowledge and experience are things you can't teach.
The main point of the is trade is the salary dump of Maggette. Future PG: Monta SG: Jackson SF: Maggette?????? Tell me where do Azubuike, Randolph and Morrow, where do they get their minutes????
Somone has to go, and it's Maggette. I really don't want Monta to go, but in the back of my mind I don't want the Jackson signing to symbolize the end of Monta in the Bay because of conflict between him and ownership. It makes me sick just typing.
Kidd is the perfect stop gap PG and is a player that makes the players around him better. Maggette is not. Many of our players, Wright, Morrow, Turiaf can't create their own shots they need to be set up, and Kidd is great at setting people up.
With Kidd here and Maggette gone we get:
1.) a shot at the playoffs with a solid floor general in Kidd
2.) the youngsters playing
3.) Added leadership in Kidd
4.) a mentor for the youngsters at PG
5.) and possible 2nd round picks from the trade
6.) the expiring contract of Kidd
I really hope this happens, but I doubt it.
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
You're ignoring a VERY important factor: Kidd is 35! Can he really run with the Nellie pace? Can he really avoid injuries?
I actually like Maggette because he adds another dimension to our game and he is not 35! Kidd can only play maximum one season, with his age, in Nellie's system. I wouldn't take Buke over Maggette. Buke is not a starter in the league and you and me know that. He's an awesome sixth man in the NBA, but not a starter.
Well, the Jackson signing will bring some clouds over Monta's case. I will pose this question again: Can Monta Ellis stay in the Bay Area next summer with Mullin's expected departure? I doubt it.
I don't think the Kidd trade will happen though.
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Garlic boy 7 months ago
My comment about playing the young guys and trading Maggette was aimed at everyone. You can't play the young guys without getting rid of a vet: Monta, Jackson or Maggette. I pick Maggette.
As far as my trade being realistic. How much more realistic can you get than involving players who want to be traded Stack, Al, Marbury and teams that want these players Dallas wants Marbury, New York wants Al. How's that for reality.
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Khalid Shakran 7 months ago
Sorry, I actually meant for the Warriors. I don't think this trade, for the WARRIORs, will go down even if it's the last thing Mullin will do before leaving the Yay Area.
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Garlic boy 7 months ago
For the Warriors??? I'm was thinking 2 steps ahead since yesterday. Morrow looked great again, and as far as differentiating Azbuike as a starter or 6th man? What's the difference in regards to playing ability??? Azubuike can definitely start and replace the voide left by Maggette. Monta is also back in 2 months or less, so once again he can be relegated as the 6th man.
Mullin is out. He has been out. It's not his call. The trade I proprosed is all about getting Maggette off the books, getting a stop gap PG and getting some 2nd round picks in the process. Getting Maggette and Al off our books clears $20 million.
You know who's a free agent at the end of the season??? Carlos Boozer. With $20 million offering Boozer a MAX contract for ONLY 3 YEARS, might be VERY appealing to both sides. He'll be off the books when it's time to resign Randolph. I think there is to much talent on our team to not be TITLE CONTENDERS. Not only does this make us contenders, but it cripples the Jazz in the process. Now that's called killing 2 birds with 1 stone.
I'm playing chess.
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