Bleacher Report - Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors' Don Nelson: 70 Year Old Failure Who Can't Be Fired

M.T. Karthik — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:04:10 -0500

Caveat: for the purposes of the piece, success is coaching to an NBA title. Failure, is not.

Man, I love a good, cold, draft beer and hanging out at the pub. And for 20 years, I've really liked Don Nelson because he has always seemed to me like a decent guy.

Chilling in Maui in the offseason, barking at the refs from the sidelines during the season. Then the photos of him in local papers in Oakland and Dallas, frumpy, baseball cap, drinking a beer. A regular guy with great knowledge of one of my favorite games.

Don Nelson is an easy guy to like.

But, as the turmoil in the Bay Area descends into rumour, innuendo, and the exact physical strength of Raja Bell's wrist—does it need metal pins or not? Was ownership confident surgery can come off without the pins?

Don Nelson stands alone in a glaring spotlight. He has failed and is exposed.

In the last few days a special kind of rage has been reserved for Don Nelson. People will say they hate him, but often stop short of saying really why. We have been obliged to care for him. In fact, you like Don Nelson—and that's why it's so hard to say you hate him, because he's a loser.

And now, because of ownership's commitment to a decent, human attitude toward an employee in his last year who has given a lot to the organization, we have to cringe and watch as the Warriors struggle mightily to get Nelson his 24 wins.

Anybody who knows the history of labor in this country finds Steph Jack a little easier to understand.

Warriors fans now have to figure out how to swallow their desire for a real, competitive team and somehow turn their love of the team into love for the team's real objective—making Don Nelson the winningest coach in NBA History.

While this is depressing, there's light in it. The team is filled with young, athletic talent that's exciting to watch. They are capable of remarkable play. The rookie is for real.

And, actually, Don Nelson is capable of coaching this team to wins and, now exposed and sort of pathetic, he has actually shown compromise, unlike the Don Nelson of recent past. Starting a rookie at point guard? Working rotation on D? I'd say Curry's basketball IQ is already having an intangible effect of considerable scale.

So, Nelson? He does know the game. Maybe with a little late career luck to counter the horrible luck the Warriors have had this week—Azubuike's injury is the real killer—this team could still be fun to watch. You just have to let yourself get behind Nelson's goal to do it.

Don, I hate to tell you, but a whole lot of people wish you'd just step down.

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The Golden State Warriors: A Team in Turmoil

David Miers — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:30:08 -0500

With the Golden State Warriors trying to unload some of their baggage on the tail-end of a long-road trip in the form of a four-player Stephen Jackson deal; it seems as if the load is just not getting any lighter.

According to ESPN NBA Analyst Chris Broussard, Monta Ellis and his representatives will meet with the Warriors front office to discuss at length his future with the team Thursday; this news coming just a day after the Jackson trade drama subsided with his move to the Charlotte Bobcats.

Ellis’s discontent with the team is long documented, initially disagreeing with the fine imposed on him for his scooter accident last summer which had cost the Warriors his availability for a majority of last season.

The disgruntlement continued into this summer as it was alleged that the Warriors front office promised both he and Jackson that an established veteran would be signed to help the team push for a playoff spot in anticipation that their No. 7 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft wouldn’t immediately help them this year.

That veteran acquisition never materialized before the season and consequently Jackson complained his way out of the situation.

Monta sat back and saw the Warriors use their draft pick on a scoring guard similar to his style and physique, Stephen Curry. Before the season even started Ellis lamented to the press that them two sharing a backcourt wouldn’t work, “period.”

However, with Curry proving himself night-in-night-out, it is becoming more apparent that Monta was just venting a deeper frustration on the new guy.

With Monta now the undisputed focal point of the team, it seems that the attention may be too little, too late.

With the Warriors identity beginning to emerge this season as young player development, it remains to be seen what roles those players will play.

One burgeoning star apparently questioning his role within the team is Anthony Randolph. With Coach Don Nelson’s hot-and-cold treatment of the player, his playing time, and his preferred position, Randolph’s long-term commitment to the team has come into question.

And with the recent acquisition of Vladimir Radmanovic, the deterioration of his development in this last couple of games might be a reality if he cannot find more quality time on the court.

Widely considered one of the top young talents in the league, Randolph’s confidence needs an immediate boost if the Warriors stand any chance in holding onto such a prized asset in the future.

Larry Riley, the Warriors General Manager, has recently moved to squelch rumors that trades were imminent within the organization, but has not totally ruled out the possibility the moves could happen on the horizon.

In Broussard’s interview with Riley he stated, "I don't have anything going right now in regards to trading people," Riley said Tuesday afternoon. He continued, "I will be working to improve our team throughout the rest of this year, and that process will be started quickly.

"I felt we had to get the first thing (Jackson trade) out of the way first. Are we in a position to not do anything? We're 3-6. I can't afford not to be talking to people. We're 3-6 and we need to continue to evaluate our roster."

Well, now they're 3-7 after losing a close one to the Cleveland Cavaliers and face the toughest opponent they’ve seen all season in the red-hot Boston Celtics Wednesday evening.

Life in the NBA doesn’t get any easier and it seems the more they pack away their dysfunction, the heavier it gets.

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The Golden State Warriors: Step-By-Step Instructions To Becoming Champions

Courtzide Seatz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:50:36 -0500

The Golden State Warriors are in a state of turmoil and dysfunction, and there doesn’t appear to be any hope on the horizon. This team is in full-scale chaos mode, on a level I have never seen in the NBA.

The disgruntled Stephen Jackson was just shipped out of town in exchange for Vladmir Radmanovic—who I’m not even convinced knows what a basketball looks like—and Raja Bell, who announced his intent to undergo season ending wrist surgery no sooner than he stepped foot on California soil.

Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf are both nursing injuries and don’t appear to be close to rejoining the team anytime soon. Kelenna Azubuike and Brandan Wright are both now expected to miss the remainder of the season due to injury.

Monta Ellis is now rumored to be the latest “forget about my way, just give me the highway” star of the day.

Stephen Jackson was his best friend on the team. Now, with Jackson gone and with the continued demise of the Warriors, I can’t see that situation ending well.

If circumstances get any more dysfunctional in Oakland, you'd think you were watching an episode of Bebe’s Kids.

Well, put all your worries aside Warriors fans because I have a plan that will catapult your team back to respectability and into the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

Step One: Fire Don Nelson. Hire Byron Scott

Don Nelson, despite his rising spot on the all-time winningest coaches list, is not a good leader.

His players have stopped buying into his message, and from all accounts have completely tuned him out. Nellie ball has never been a winning brand of basketball, and its flaws are especially apparent during a modern era where defense is once again emerging as the recipe for championships.

With the Nelson situation having become untenable, ownership should immediately take action and bring in a coach with a proven track record and a reputation for meticulously imposing a digestible style of discipline and regimen. Enter Byron Scott.

Scott seems to be the perfect fit for this team, and I think his style would instantly garner the respect and most importantly the attention of his players. He could take Stephen Curry under his wing, help him evolve as a player, and mold him in a similar fashion to how he developed Chris Paul.

It is an obvious win for both sides.

The Warriors get the type of coach they desperately need and Byron Scott gets to return to California, a place he has not been shy about stating his desire to return.

Step Two: Trade Monta Ellis

The Monta Ellis situation will soon become a problem. He wants out, and despite his elite talent, the Warriors would be wise to cut ties with him before the situation escalates.

No problem, I have just the solution Warriors fans.

It's actually pretty simple. Monta Ellis for Carlos Boozer straight up.

Utah gets Boozer off of their hands, which opens up the door for Paul Millsap to finally take control of that power forward spot. Ellis gives them a great compliment to Deron Williams, and the explosive scorer they desperately need.

Golden State preemptively grants Ellis his trade demand, and in return gets a pretty darn good power forward to solidify their frontcourt, and also a massive expiring contract to boot.

If the Warriors wanted to establish themselves as players in the 2010 free-agent frenzy, they would potentially have about $24 million coming off of their books.

Great trade. Everyone wins.

Step Three: Hire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as an Assistant Coach

It’s no secret that Kareem wants to become a head coach in the NBA, and this could be the perfect spring board to get him to that next level.

He would gain some great experience on the sidelines under Byron Scott, who was a teammate of Kareem’s, and he could help the Warrior bigs with their technical soundness in the post.

Having Kareem on board would undoubtedly help Biedrins and Randolph develop their low post games, which is a glaring weakness in both of their skill sets. Learning from a legend could be invaluable to their progression.

Step Four: Draft Big and Throw All Your Chips at Dwyane Wade

Now that this team suddenly has an enormous amount of money to throw at a free agent, all they have to do is convince their man that the Warriors are an up-and-coming team.

Dwayne Wade is exactly the type of player that could put this team over the top. Combine his game changing abilities with some of the Warriors current players, and this team suddenly starts to look really good. They need to do whatever it takes to entice Wade to Oaktown.

A starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Dwayne Wade, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph and Andris Biedrins looks pretty nice.

Throw in Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, Ronny Turiaf, and a healthy Brandan Wright coming off the bench and you have yourself a top five Western Conference team.

Oh, and don't forget that the Warriors will most certainly be in line for a top five draft pick. Use that wisely, preferably on a tough and physical big man, and this becomes easily one of the deepest teams in the NBA.

You see, the Golden State Warriors are only one year, and a series of wise personnel decisions away from becoming contenders once again in the West. Get rid of Nellie, bring in Byron Scott, rade Monta Ellis for Boozer, hire Kareem as an assistant, get rid of all expiring contracts, bring in Dwayne Wade, and voila. Instant threat.

Simple right?

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Golden State Gets Further Cap Relief, but Does It Matter?

Steven Resnick — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:45:06 -0500

I guess the most positive thing to say about the Warriors trade of Stephen Jackson and Acie Law for Vladimir Radmanovic and Raja Bell is the fact that Golden State franchise is now significantly under the salary cap.

With the trade, the Warriors are about 21 million dollars under the salary cap. That means that the Warriors could go after some of the top 2010 free agent players.

But even more troubling for Warriors fans is the rumor of Monta Ellis being traded as well.

With Ellis, the relationship between he and coach Don Nelson is all but gone.

Ellis was trying to be a leader by telling the team something and Nelson cut him off. Any franchise that actually had competent owners, would have fired Nelson on the spot.

Nelson has handled the development of Anthony Randolph with zero savvy. Randolph was supposed to make tremendous strides this season. That has not happened because Nelson uses him sporadically.

Now Randolph seems to be playing with less hustle than before. All the confidence that Randolph had last year seems to have vanished. That can be traced right back to Nelson.

Just another reason to fire the coach.

Yet, as Warriors fans, we know that's not going to happen because the team has a pathetic excuse for an owner and it has been this way for a long time.

How sad is it that in 2000 when the All-Star Game was played in the Oracle Arena, Cohan was booed and forced out of his seat when reporters were trying to ask him questions.

Even more embarrassing though for Cohan is the fact that David Stern was with Cohan when he was announced and he was booed without mercy!

But, that's really my point. With such a hated and incompetent owner, what free agent would even want to play for the Warriors?

The Warriors aren't going to win very many games this year. Plus, NBA players, coaches, executives, and owners all have seen how dysfunctional this team has been over the years. It's safe to say the Warriors aren't looked upon as a model franchise.

Anyways here's the list of 2010 NBA free agents . They include Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, and plenty more.

Yet, honestly would any of those players consider playing for the Warriors franchise? Well, Warriors fans already know that Stoudemire wouldn't when a rumored trade to the Suns was mentioned.

None of those players would even look at the contract given to them, there's no amount of money that could be paid to get them to play for the Warriors.

Look at Bell who came over in the trade from Charlotte. He's opting to have surgery on his wrist, the same wrist that he would have played on if he was still on Charlotte's roster. Bell will be a free agent in 2010 and there's no chance he's staying in Golden State.

Welcome to the world of being a Warriors fan. The only way the franchise will change is when Cohan finally sells the team. By that time there's probably not going to be much of a team left.

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Golden State Warriors: A Strategy for Getting Somewhere, Someday

Stephen Lurie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:54:42 -0500

Luck Is Not a Strategy

Losing is getting old. Worse than losing, however, is the impression that the organization doesn't seem to know what it is doing.

The coach, Don Nelson, who won rings and was a model of consistency as a player, is unable to communicate what he wants to his team—effort and consistency on defense and rebounds, spacing and ball movement on offense. Is that so hard to understand or explain?

An unclear hierarchy and dubious alliances have seemingly paralyzed management. Cowan and Rowell with their agenda and Nelly and Riley with their own. Meanwhile, I get the impression that either nobody is communicating with players or they are giving them mixed messages.

I imagine now that the bulk of the players are just confused and tired of the drama. One of their leaders, Jackson, nearly imploded (his praying with a gun tattoo is more understandable now) and burned down the building on his way out. The other, Monta, just ripped them in the press and looks like he is checking out.

All is not lost, but the Warriors, and by this I mean those management clowns, need to start acting maturely and with some foresight.

The Monta Debate

I suggest that Monta, while not grossly overrated, is not going to get the Warriors anywhere and he is arguably heading down the same route as I-think-I-am-as-good-as-Kobe-Bryant Jackson.

To compete for a championship with a small two, he needs to be elite with good to great talent around him—think Allen Iverson with Dikembe Mutombo. Monta is at best no Answer to the Warrior's many problems and as a player, teammate, and human being I think most will agree he is done growing here.

Now ask yourself if Monta really helps with the following:

Leadership: No! He put it best when he said, “He won't do it!” Tip to players: Don't call out your coach in front of the press, after being late, if you want a fat contract extension.

Defense: No! While he thinks he is a good defender his guy always seems to have a career or near-career night and he averages 1.5 steals less than the Answer did for his career. I think this goes to effort and lack of basketball intelligence.

Ball movement: No! While every once in a while he breaks out and gets some assists, for the most part once he gets the ball he is either going to the hole or pulling up. Pretty one-dimensional and you won't get very far in the playoffs on that.

Frankly, you'll be lucky to ever beat the Lakers because they have that guy Kobe who does that really well and has long three-point range too (again something Monta can't do).

Team building: No! He just threw his teammates under the bus and when he was asked if he needs to communicate with his team better, said no. While communicating with them through the press. Good job. Let’s see how this works out for you.

Intelligence and integrity: No! Sorry, Monta, but it is your turn to see the underside of the bus. How he handled the moped episode and the fact that he rides mopeds leads me to think that his feet are faster than his brain.

Oh yeah, and so we don't forget, if Monta had played a little better (likewise for Jackson) the Warriors might have been competitive against Utah in that series. Instead, he pooped on himself.

The worst part of it is he seems to lack the ability to remember that his “teammates” didn't punk him to the press the first chance they got.

The Warriors, who have a long history of trading off their talent, shouldn't let that cause them to build around the wrong guy. Simply put, the Warriors cannot afford to build around him at this point and trying to do so will only waste time (bye-bye next two seasons).

That being said, Monta has a lot of value and it will grow as this year's playoffs near and a GM out there needs someone to come in to fill-it-up. I think he is a great potential Vinnie Johnson-type player.

As a coach I would love to look down my bench and see Monta. Playoff defenses tighten up and he could be a big-time spark plug for a team.

Getting There

Here is the road map and, unlike so much I've read, is actually possible:

1. Explain to him that if he says the right things and plays well this year he will be traded to a good team.

2. Explain that if he is not nice, he will be traded to NY so he can learn to lose gracefully and eat Vaseline under a magnifying glass like Starbury.

3. Showcase his game this year and start subbing the young guns more. Tell them they are going to be playing a lot soon so they better get ready.

4. Trade Monta before the deadline for some talent, cap relief, and/or picks to the team that gives you the most in return and stab him in the back.

Since Monta has been drafted, he has shown very little other than the ability to light it up with the ball in his hands. This is probably the easiest player to find in today's NBA.

It is time to trade this undersized-baller for a future that will hopefully involve the playoffs.

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Getting Rid of Stephen Jackson a Smart Play for Golden State Warriors

Simon B. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:32:33 -0500

The Golden State Warriors' trade of Stephen Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats marks a successful move in what has been a string of intelligent plays by Warriors management.

Since Larry Riley was named general manager in May, he has traded away Jamal Crawford's contract and atrocious defense, traded away Marco Belinelli (TBD if this was a good move), drafted the talented young Stephen Curry, and now has freed the Bay Area of Stephen Jackson.

This deal amounts to massive salary cap relief from what was going to be a roster-suffocating three-year, $28 million extension for Jackson that would kick in after this season.

In return for Jackson and Acie Law, the Warriors will receive Raja Bell, who has an expiring contract, and Vladimir Radmonavic, who is owed $6.9 million next season. This means that GS is clearing roughly $21 million off their books.

So the question is: Is Jackson worth $2 million next year and $19 million for the following two years?

Here’s my take: Jackson isn’t worth anything close to $21 million over three years, especially to Golden State. He plays at a position where the Warriors have depth, and the team will now have cap space for the 2011 free agent period and/or for making trades.

Can Jackson score? Yes, but he needs to take a lot of shots to do it, and he's benefited from playing on the league's fastest paced team.

Last season, Jackson finished 19-out-of-21 small forwards that qualified with a paltry .414 shooting percentage. The year before that, he shot an even worse .405.

For a player who is so-so at best when shooting the three, Jackson continually heaves the ball from beyond the arc, and his three-point percentages have taken a steady nose-dive.

Season: three-point percentage, attempts per game

07-08: .363, 6.9

08-09: .338, 5.2

09-10: .275, 4.4

He has shown the ability to pass the ball with his 6.5 assists per game last season and a 15-assist game this season. However, when given the ball as a point forward and play-maker, Jackson uses plenty of his possessions to get his own shot.

In the 08-09 season, Stephen averaged close to 17 shots per game, while this season he’s at roughly 15 shots per game.

The 6'8" forward's rebounding per 40-minute stats are rather unimpressive, especially considering his minutes per game and the Warriors' quick tempo.

Season: minutes per game, R/40

07-08: 39.1, 4.5

08-09: 39.6, 5.3

09-10: 33.3, 4.7

In addition, Jackson is turnover prone.

Season: TOs per game

07-08: 2.7

08-09: 3.9

09-10: 2.9

He's a poor shooter who shoots too much. He passes the ball when he feels like it, and his ball control is inconsistent. For his size, his rebounding is suspect. Jackson’s potency on the offensive end can be summed up in one word: overrated.

There is one part of Jackson’s game that can’t be overlooked though—his lock-down defense. He is quick enough to keep up with shorter forwards and is strong and physical enough to stop players that are his size and taller. To have a player with that type of versatility gives the coach a lot of options when it comes to choosing lineups and defensive matchups.

In contrast, Jackson, 31, is locked in for three more seasons after this one. How forceful of a defensive presence will he be at age 34?

He can be a great team leader, but as evidenced this season, he can also be a terrible one. Publicly blaming your teammates and requesting to be traded isn't what the Warriors were hoping for when handing him a leadership role.

I'm guessing that the majority of Oakland players (and fans) are happy to see him go.

In Raja Bell, we get a a good off-ball scorer, who rebounds well for his size, and is known for his defense. Radmonovic is a decent 6'10" role player, who will likely come off the bench. He can shoot the three and gives the Warriors some much needed interior size. In previous seasons, his rebounding rates weren't great, but this season he has 8.7 rebounds per 40 minutes.

This move makes Monta Ellis' role on the team even more important. His improving court vision and passing game will need to get even better with so few offensive creators on the team.

All things considered, this was a necessary and perceptive deal made by the Warriors front office. It should help with the development of the talented young players, and it frees up cap space for future endeavors.

This move will help in the present and gives optimistic visions of the future.

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The Stephen Jackson Trade: Golden State Finally Starts 2009 NBA Season

M.T. Karthik — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:34:53 -0500

The trade is sound. Steph Jack and his agent made it inevitable and the deal works.

So...little used Acie Law and The-Man-Who-Didn't-Want-to-Teach out, veteran hard-nosed defender and soft Euro-bigman in.

Now we'll definitely see the three D's from Monta and Steph—Drive Draw and Dish—to Radmanovic for three! Or a long two.

And opposing scores are guaranteed to drop with a stopper like Bell, presuming the wrist is workable at some point.

Curry, Ellis, Randolph, and Morrow show promise. Maggette's a stable vet and Turiaf's the weak link but coachable. The trade is good. It's the loss of Azubuike to injury that's the mightiest blow.

So Captain Jack has found another ship and the 2009 season can finally start for the Golden State Warriors. Oh, but wait. There's still one thing left to do.

Don Nelson, who will turn 70 in May, needs only 22 more wins to become the Winningest Coach in NBA History. Nellie's never won a title and unfortunately he never will. The Wins Record is his ticket to the Hall of Fame...and his ticket to retirement in Maui.

Make no mistake about it, ownership committed last year to seeing it through. Don Nelson gets 24 wins, or the season ends, whichever comes first. This is the Bay Area, where we stand by guys trying to achieve big goals in almost any circumstance (cf. Barry Bonds).

With Jack gone, this team will achieve Nellie's goal before the All-Star Break. Thanks to the trade, I put money on it happening Jan. 26, 2010, against Sacramento in the state capital.

'Cause that's just how NorCal rolls.

After that, with a hot ROY candidate and a healthy team, a less-stressed Nelson could make the playoffs. Then the Don would have his 70th birthday where he belongs: on the hardcourt where he spent his life.

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Warriors Update – Stephen Jackson Goes, But Problems Stay

dan german — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:59:13 -0500

Warriors Update – November 16, 2009 – Stephen Jackson Goes, But Problems Stay

This morning, the Warriors shipped Stephen Jackson out of town in the hope that the circus would leave with him. It is safe to say, though, the fabulous disaster called the Golden State Warriors Implosion is a work-in-progress that can’t be FedEx-ed to North Carolina. More on that later, but first, this morning’s deal:

To Golden State:

- Raja Bell - 6’5” shooting guard, small forward. contract: 1 year, $5.3mm

The skinny: A good 3-point shooter, a better on-ball defensive stopper vs. 1s, 2s and some 3s. High hoops IQ, good defensive team player; below average dribbler, does not drive well, rarely creates for his own shot.

- Vladimir Radmanovic – 6’10” small / power forward. contract: 2 years, $6.7mm/yr

The skinny: best asset is his distance shooting for his size; a very good 3s guy; can run reasonably well for a big guy; weak defensively, is soft, a poor rebounder for a big, does not play with his back to the basket.

To Charlotte:

- Stephen Jackson , 6’8” shooting guard, small forward. contract: 4 years, $8.9mm/yr

The skinny: Despite all that you shed when trading away the whole Jax package, you also lose a 20ppg player who is a defensive one-on-one stopper against almost anyone in the NBA. A go-to guy who creates his own shot at any time (including times when you wish he wouldn’t), can run the offense and get others involved. Of course, he only does this when he feels like it; is a much worse ball handler than he thinks he is.

- Acie Law , 6’3” point guard. contract: 1 year $2.2mm

The skinny: A promising, strong point guard who dribbles well, see the court reasonably well, and has Baron Davis upper body strength to back down opposing points guards. Never really got the opportunity to play extended minutes, but showed potential with limited playing time.

How the Warriors fared:

- The big plus: long term salary cap relief. Perhaps this was the goal all along, with overall team improvement a secondary goal. Go team. Now the Ws have cap space to compete for the great 2010 free agent class (please stop laughing…)

- The Ws lose offense. Bell, at 10ppg, and Radmanovic, a 9ppg guy, can’t replace Jackson’s points. Funny how it works out that the highest scoring team in the NBA may now scratch its head, wondering where the scoring punch will come from, especially in half court sets…

- It is now Monta’s team as the offensive centerpiece. But Ellis, as the only consistent scorer who can create his own shot, will need more help than ever as teams will now freely collapse on him.

- The Ws are a weaker defensive team. I’ll bet you didn’t think that was possible…

- Raja thrived in D’Antoni’s Phoenix system; there is no reason to think he won’t do well in Golden State, except there is no Nash in Oakland, and Nellie is D’Antoni lite in a clown’s outfit…

- The organization's overall noise level will drop for a while. But after the Ws record goes to 3-13, then 4-18, no one will remember why Jax was shipped out, or care why...

- Its hard to say losing Acie Law was a huge loss; that said, Law showed enough to think he might be a keeper. We wonder why Riley and Rowell didn't include Speedy Claxton instead, a guy who won’t play two minutes with the Ws. Hmm...

Bottom line: The Ws failed to get the one Bobcat who could have made this trade a net positive, Boris Diaw. However, given Golden State's pending implosion, the organization got some value in return. Not enough, though, to change the team dynamics or improve the wins-loss ratio.

Nellie’s old Milwaukee buddies took him to a Springsteen show after the Bucs loss this past weekend to help him forget how bad his defensive adjustments are. The Boss’s show is over; Nellie’s show isn’t, just missing a headline act. The Ws move on to Cleveland tomorrow, no doubt inching closer to the lottery. I wonder if the Ws are scouting next year’s Blake Griffin yet…

Maybe Chris Webber is right. Perhaps Coach Nellie won’t get the 24 wins he needs to become the NBA’s all time leader in victories this season.

So it begs the question: how many losses does Nellie need to be the NBAs all time leader in losses?

One last mention: Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington, Michael Pietrus, Matt Barnes. Now Stephen Jackson. The purging of the best Warrior team in 15 years is almost complete. Good going, Li’l Bobby…

As always, go Ws….

**************

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Fantasy Basketball: Stephen Jackson Dealt to Charlotte

Ryan Lester — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:19:17 -0500

Well, Stephen Jackson got his wish. Sort of.

He forced his way out of Golden State. Unfortunately he did not land with a contender, rather a struggling Charlotte Bobcats team. The good news for Stephen Jackson owners is that he’s no longer at the whim of Don Nelson and his bizarre playing-time allocation.

Jackson’s value should go up a bit as he will be the focal point of Charlotte’s offense. Acie Law came over as well, but doesn’t have much fantasy value. Jackson’s arrival doesn’t bode well for the assist totals of Boris Diaw as the offense will likely run through Jackson. Diaw’s scoring could see an increase though. Gerald Wallace should see an increase in scoring as well. Raymond Felton’s fantasy value shouldn’t take much of a hit, but D.J. Augustin’s may.

For Golden State, Raja Bell’s fantasy value increases slightly as he provides injury relief following the loss of Kelenna Azubuike. Stephen Curry and Anthony Morrow should get more opportunities with Jackson’s departure. Vladimir Radmanovic, who came over from Charlotte, should get a slight bump in production with his ability to hit the long ball. He was getting just 16.6 minutes per game for the Bobcats, and could see a slight increase in Nellie’s system. He’ll remain an inconsistent option though, and not worth adding until he proves otherwise.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.

Additional fantasy basketball info:

- Fantasy Basketball Week Four Schedule (click for article )

- 11/15/09 Fantasy Basketball Box Score Breakouts (click for article )

- Fantasy Hoops Waiver Wire Bin (click here for article )

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NBA Approval of Jackson Trade Continues Incompetency of Warriors

Steven Resnick — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:14:34 -0500

When Larry Riley was given the General Manager title for the Golden State Warriors, as a fan of the team, I knew it was only a matter of time before Riley would run the team into the ground. As I expected, it's happened already—just nine games into the season.

Yet, that was foreshadowed immediately during the offseason with the trades of Marco Belinelli and Jamal Crawford. With both trades, the Warriors got players who weren't going to produce much for the team.

The trade came at an unfortunate time when Belinelli was just starting to show signs of being a strong player for the Warriors especially on the defensive end. Crawford, though defensively inept, was always a capable scorer, and did much more in his NBA career than Law and Speedy Claxton who also came over in the deal.

The icing on the cake was the trade that was announced today and approved by the NBA. The trade calls for the Warriors to send Stephen Jackson and Acie Law to the Charlotte Bobcats for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic.

I get the fact that the Warriors needed to get rid of Jackson, but this was exactly what I was afraid of—getting a two players who are nowhere near the same caliber as Jackson in the deal.

Let's face it, Jackson last year averaged just under 21 points per game, averaged 6.5 assists per game, and 5 rebounds. Law showed what he could do in limited minutes for the Warriors and was one of the only players on the team that actually put forth a quality effort when he got into the games. Law, in my opinion, was just a throw into make the salaries work.

Jackson is better than Bell and Radmanovic combined and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the numbers and see that.

Of course the NBA also plays a role in this for allowing the trade to be accepted. What's maddening now is that the NBA cares so much about salary cap situations that it doesn't really care about the players involved in the trade.

Need proof? Just go to ESPN.com and click on the trade machine. In theory you could put a trade there that has Stephen Jackson and Andris Biedrins going to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Lebron James.

Would the trade ever happen? No, Cleveland would never accept it, but based on salaries it would work.

That's what happened with the trade of Jackson—it was because of Jackson's and Law's salaries matched up with Bell's and Radmanovic's salaries.

Even more disconcerting is that the NBA ignored the fact that Bell is injured. He could clearly just decide the Warriors franchise is going nowhere and opt to have surgery on his injured wrist.

Well at least the Warriors are living up to the bill of their reputation as being an incompetent franchise heading nowhere!

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Golden State Warriors Trade Stephen Jackson To Charlotte Bobcats

kevin roberts — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:53:30 -0500

The Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Bobcats have reportedly agreed to a deal that would send disgruntled forward Stephen Jackson and point guard Acie Law to the Bobcats in for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic.

This deal would end months of speculation over Jackson's future with the team and give Charlotte the big-time offensive player they had been lacking.

Fantasy Perspective: The Golden State Warriors are a run-and-gun team that loves to shoot the three. Both Bell and Radmanovic have an outside chance to have some fantasy value, but the talent pool in Golden State is fairly deep, so it may take a while to see how they fit in.

Jackson, on the other hand, is capable of scoring 20 points a night, and can make things happen with the ball in his hands. He's a valuable asset to any fantasy roster if he can quickly return to form.

For all breaking news and fantasy advice, head over to NFLSoup.com, and be on the look-out for NBASoup.com

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Will Don Nelson Be Around Much Longer for the Golden State Warriors?

Steven Resnick — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:28:18 -0500

With the Golden State Warriors' pathetic effort against the Milwaukee Bucks and the upcoming schedule not getting any easier for the Warriors there's one question on Warriors' fans minds. That question is will Don Nelson be around to witness a major losing streak?

I have a feeling even Robert Rowell will finally get in gear and realize his mistake of giving Nelson a contract extension. Let's face it; General Manager Larry Riley doesn't have the courage or the power to fire Nelson because he's a pawn.

Besides that, I love the fact that Nelson is the one that instructed that Jamal Crawford opt out of his contract at the end of last season even though Nelson is not the General Manager. Another thing that Nelson does is when referring to the Stephen Jackson situation he talks about how there are talks and if they get a good enough deal it will happen.

Nelson says it as if he's the General Manager and it's really not Nelson's fault. It's Rowell's fault he is the one that took Riley from assistant coach to General Manager after disagreeing with Chris Mullin over the punishment last year to Monta Ellis.

But, as I mentioned earlier, the Warriors are going to be looking at a long losing streak and it will definitely get a few Warriors players upset. With the Warriors losing, their record fell to 3-6.

The next games for the Warriors are against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City, and New Jersey Nets.

At this point the Warriors look like they are on the road to a 12 game losing streak. The team to end the streak are the much worse Nets. Other then that there's not very many games that look like the Warriors would be able to steal a victory from.

If that happens that means the Warriors record goes from 3-6 to 3-17. Again the question I posed before will Nelson be around for it? The answer is no likely because I don't see him having the patience to withstand such a bad stretch.

Most of the Warriors problems can be traced back to Nelson in the first place. It wouldn't surprise me in the bit that Rowell finally has enough of Nelson and fires him.

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