Finally a Little Clarity in Warrior Land

John Intrater — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:02:23 -0400

Nellie: “No, I should be clear about that. He wasn’t drafted for somebody else. He is not going to be traded. He was drafted because we think he is going to be a terrific player, and he’s going to be right here. So he can unpack his bags, he can relax, go buy a house because he ain’t goin’ any place.”

Nellie: “He’s a heck of a player. We drafted him because we think he’s going to be a great point guard. Maybe not his first year. It takes a while for point guards to mature and feel comfortable. I always saw Steve Nash in him, and he is the greatest player I’ve ever coached,” Nelson said.

“I’ve been looking for another one for a long time and this is as close as I’ve ever seen in a young player. He has that same ability that Steve had. Shooting, passing, knowledge, just the natural things he’s done that he’s worked on his whole life.”

Nellie: “That’ll be fine. Monta still has to work on his point guard skills as well and his passing skills. That was part of his program to get better at. This guy already has that. Monta has some work to do in that area but they’ll be fine together.”

Nellie: “Yes, Jack is going back to three. I emailed him that today, that ‘I moved you to two and you’re back to three.’ We like Morrow very much, too, as a player in the backcourt. Jack said, ‘Wherever you want me, that’s where I’ll be.’”

Based on today's Don Nelsons comments regarding the No. 7 pick Stephen Curry (see above interview by Marcus Thompson III) , it seems that a few things have actually been resolved in Warrior land. Seems like a minor accomplishment but with all the recent insanity that's out there regarding this Amare trade, even an ounce of clarity seems like a wonderful thing.

Heres a list of what we now know for sure. Finally:

No. 1- Steph Curry will NOT be traded

No. 2- Stephen Jackson will move back to the 3 spot

No. 3- Don Nelson sees Curry as the future Point Guard

Here are some of the remaining unanswered questions:

No. 1- Will the Warriors still be able to complete a deal for Amare without Curry?

No. 2- Will Steph Curry start right away with Monta in the backcourt?

No. 3- Will Monta mind sliding back to the SG after all this PG talk went down this offseason?

No. 4- Would the warriors be able to sign Amare in the summer of 2010 if they dont land him this offseason?

Overall I am excited about the idea of having Curry on this team for years to come. The thought of trading the guy along with Beans etc. sounds crazy to me. I think Nelson and the management know that the warriors have the upper hand and that Amare will become a free agent after this season anyways.

We have a young nucleus of that's very talented, plenty of cap space to sign a max free agent deal in 2010, and the coaching staff and front office that seem to be on the same page. For the first time since I can remember, and god I hope someone is knocking on wood, I actually feel semi comfortable with the current mindset of the warriors front office (ducking...taking cover...).

Wow. Did I really just say that?

Go Warriors.

Suns Loss a Warrior Gain?

John Intrater — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:18:31 -0400

The Phoenix Suns lost last night vs the mighty Spurs, in a game that ended their season and championship dreams. Immediately following, talks around the league were that Suns head coach, '04-'05 NBA Coach of the Year, Mike D'Antoni would not return to the team next season.

While its all still speculation, if Mike D'Antoni gets run out of Phoenix like reports are saying, wouldn't he be the perfect fit to coach the Warriors? I mean Don Nelson has one year—at most—left coaching the warriors, so why wouldn't we cut ties now while there's a perfect coach for our team out there?

I know D'Antoni never made it deep into the playoffs with the Suns but I don't think it's his fault entirely. Last year they got screwed with the absurd suspensions and this year they ran into Tim Duncan's final second 3 point shot in game one which set the tone for the rest of the series.

I say that if Mike D'Antoni actually gets let go, the Warriors should do everything in their power to not let him get hired for another gig like the NY or Chicago...or else we could be left with one more Don Nelson season and then we're back looking for a new coach and a new identity.

Bleacher Report - Articles by John Intrater

Finally a Little Clarity in Warrior Land

Suns Loss a Warrior Gain?