NBA Trade Deadline 2012: 5 Biggest Questions Facing the Golden State Warriors

With the strike-shortened season already past its halfway point, the Golden State Warriors find themselves chasing every team in the Western Conference not named the Sacramento Kings or the New Orleans Hornets.

Needless to say, Mark Jackson's first season as head coach has been nothing short of a disappointment.

Was this disappointment predictable? It very well could have been. But for the Warriors' eager front office—not to mention their patient-as-ever fanbase—a should-have-been-predictable disappointment is a disappointment nonetheless.

Over their remaining 30 games, the Warriors will either make a "We Believe" type miraculous run at a postseason berth, take a miraculous dive and retain their top-seven lottery-protected draft pick, or they'll have another of their miraculously consistent finishes outside of the playoff picture without even a mid-lottery pick as their parting gift.

In terms of what's the most desirable outcome for this season, the answer depends on the answerer. There's support for tanking the season, relieving the team of any significant contracts and getting a closer look at how the younger Warriors can play with more minutes. There's also plenty of support for keeping the core (see: Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry) intact with an outside hope of postseason play this season and a more realistic hope of another productive offseason to build around this core.

Which course of action the Warriors will decide will likely be unclear for at least a few more weeks. Then again, it could become clearer as the answers to these five lingering questions emerge.

1. What Area Needs to Be Addressed on the Trade Market?

Conventional wisdom would say this team desperately needs a big man, but there are holes throughout this roster.

Warriors GM Larry Riley's trade deadline wish list probably looks something like this: pass-first point guard, closer, slasher, post scorer and shot-blocking center (in no particular order).

Despite the spin cycle that owner Joe Lacob likes to put on the fact that this team has come close (and ultimately come up short) in so many games, this is one of the most discouraging things about this roster. A bad bounce here or a shooter's role there can lead to a few tough-luck losses. Consistently playing opponents close for three quarters just to collapse in the fourth is either a problem with the coaching decisions or a problem with the roster (or, more likely, a problem with both).

The Warriors run far too many isolation plays down the stretch of games. Adding anything listed above (a pass-first point guard to keep the offense moving, a closer to actually convert those isolation plays, a slasher or post scorer to get easier looks or free throws—even a shot-blocking center who can ignite a fast break with his defense) would go a long way toward improving this team's fourth-quarter performances.

But for a definitive answer to the question, the team does clearly need a big man. Not taking anything away from Ekpe Udoh, but the level of excitement Mark Jackson created when he finally gave Udoh—and his 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds—a spot in the starting lineup shows just how little production the Warriors have gotten from the center position.

With players such as Chris Kaman and JaVale McGee likely available, Riley should see a few possible solutions on the trade market.

2. Who Is the Warriors' Most Attractive Asset?

Despite the front office's insistence, Ellis is not the Warriors' best asset. And as the minutes continue to build for Udoh and Klay Thompson, Ellis may not even be in their top three as far as the rest of the league is concerned.

Curry's injury concerns have diminished his value around the league, but the fact that he's still on his rookie contract for at least one more season has kept his value from completely bottoming out.

The most important thing for the Warriors, though, is that Curry has remained productive when he's seen the floor. He's shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and more than 40 percent from the three-point line despite not playing in an offense built for his style of play.

And, while there's still room for improvement with his decision-making, Curry has shown enough creativity with the basketball to keep those Steve Nash comparisons from being laughable.

If Riley sets Curry's price tag in the Ellis range, then his phone may never ring between now and March 15. If he sets a realistic price tag and knows what he wants in return, Riley could improve the Warriors' reputation more than Lacob's mouth ever could.

3. Could Any of the Younger Warriors Be Long-Term Starters?

Barring any trades, three of the five positions (Curry, Ellis and Lee) in this starting five are set in stone for the foreseeable future.

Warriors management surely hopes they have found their new starting center in the 6'10" Udoh, and the roster appears to have options galore whenever Jackson decides he's ready to sit the lifeless Dorell Wright.

Udoh has more game than the "We Should Have Drafted Greg Monroe" segment of the fanbase would like to admit. When aggressive, he's shown a variety of low-post moves, a nice touch around the basket and even a semi-reliable mid-range jumper.

But Udoh's 245-pound frame needs more bulk if the natural power forward ever hopes to log consistent minutes as an NBA center. And his field goal percentage (career 43.1) and rebounds (career 3.4) need to drastically improve for the Warriors to feel comfortable starting the former Baylor standout moving forward.

As for this season's lottery pick, Klay Thompson, his impression has been as varied as his stat lines. While he's shown one of the prettiest shots in the NBA, Thompson has failed to do much else consistently. Not surprisingly, his minutes have fluctuated with his production, so his long-term projections are murky at best.

If the team is comfortable with Udoh (and perhaps second-round pick Jeremy Tyler as a backup) as its center, Riley can address other more affordable needs. And if they're comfortable with major minutes for Thompson, Riley can finally see what Ellis (or Curry's) value really is.

4. Can Mark Jackson Win with a Curry-Ellis Backcourt?

How many Warriors fans would give up the "We Believe" playoff run if it meant they would not be subjected to now watching a coach trying to play physical, defensive-oriented basketball with a small-ball finesse roster?

The criticism of coach Jackson has been abundant this season. Plenty of fans have written off the former point guard just 36 games into his coaching career.

Is that a tough break for Jackson, or is this just a tough business?

Certainly coaches can expect some criticism no matter how their team performs, but Jackson should have known that a playoff-starved, extremely loyal fanbase heard every one of his and Lacob's postseason promises.

With four games (and more importantly five teams) between the Warriors and the eighth playoff spot, this question probably holds more weight for upcoming seasons than for this year. And right now, the Magic Eight Ball says it's very doubtful this backcourt can succeed with this coach.

Ellis and Curry need to push the pace to be effective; Jackson—or should I say, assistant coach Mike Malone—would prefer to slow the game down. Ellis and Curry like to gamble for steals and deflections; Jackson would rather play a more controlled, crisp zone.

The team does not play like a Jackson-coached team should play. And why would they? Most of these players were brought in by the previous regime to play in former coach Don Nelson's small-ball system.

5. Will Ellis and Curry Be Warriors on March 16?

Over the next week, there are going to be plenty of names that will excite Warriors fans: Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Rajon Rondo and—yes, Mr. Lacob—even Dwight Howard.

But will this just be the Warriors' annual trip to the NBA front pages, salivating over the latest entries onto the trading block without a legitimate chance to land any of them?

This could actually be the year where the Warriors are legitimate players in a blockbuster deal. They have the talent to force other general managers to call them, and they also have capable bodies to fill the spots vacated by their stars.

This new ownership group also has stayed in the public eye since purchasing the organization last season, and they know how fed up these fans are of the status quo. What's intriguing about this is that, should they feel compelled to pull the trigger on a trade if for no other reason than appeasing the loyal fanbase, it almost has to be a significant trade.

The front office has added valuable pieces to the second unit with solid drafting and under-the-radar free-agent signings. The bench is in no need of changes and should remain intact for the foreseeable future.

The starters, on the other hand, are clearly in need of a change. The roller coaster production from the starting five looks really bad on its own—unfortunately, it looks even worse when the reserves have been so solid.

With all of that said, all signs still point to Curry and Ellis in Warriors jerseys for the rest of this season. The front office appears out of touch with the value that Curry and, more so, Ellis really hold to rival GMs. Their asking price alone may prevent them from even hearing a counter offer from a lot of teams.

It wouldn't be shocking to see a new starting five by next weekend, but the change is not likely to come in the backcourt.