Pivot Points: You Want To Fix The Warriors? This Is Where You Start

You have to admire fans of the Golden State Warriors who remain loyal and supportive, even though they are well aware all their efforts are fruitless, considering the bleak reality of the team.

Golden State is a team doomed to mediocrity unless there are fundamental changes made to management and the team. The situation looks bad now, but without a change in the very culture of the franchise, it could get worse.

Cut off the head and the serpent will die, and in this case the snake is owner Chris Cohan who has done everything in his power to run the franchise into the ground.

That may not be true, because the people Cohan hires have much more to do with the day to day business of the Warriors; but those employees are a reflection of Cohan, and ultimately, responsibility lies with him.

It's a sad thing when the fans of a franchise lose confidence in the owner and his management team. I live in Charlotte NC, and had firsthand experience of how a great relationship could turn sour fast.

The Charlotte Hornets were a little different because they were a team that consistently made the postseason, and led the league in attendance for the first several years of their existence.

Owner George Shinn was desperate to capitalize on the success of the Hornets and wanted to relocate the team from the outskirts of the city to the blooming downtown area.

He virtually demanded the city front the money for the move and the cost of the arena, and when the citizens balked, Shinn began to threaten that he would move the team if his demands were not met.

Charlotte would not budge and Shinn made good on his threat, moving the team to New Orleans and leaving enough bad feelings to spread around the entire city.

The Queen city has a new NBA team now but fans have still yet to fully warm to the Bobcats, even as they are on the verge of their first playoff berth, playing in the same downtown arena which was refused to Shinn.

The tales of the Bobcats and Warriors are different; but they are similar when illustrating the potential effects which could strike a franchise once the fanbase is lost.

The Warriors have not reached the critical breaking point, but in order to maintain support, the franchise must concentrate on developing the talent they have and remain active in adding new pieces which could help.

The most logical choice would be for Cohan to sell the team, but since that seems unlikely, general manager Larry Riley must assume control and consider disposing of coach Don Nelson first.

In fairness, Nelson is not exactly the best coach when it comes to developing talent. He is much more of a strategist than a teacher, but his inability to offer ample direction to his players has affected the development of the team.

There is a reason that Nelson loathes to reward rookies with playing time, and the truth behind that reasoning is he is ill-equipped at instilling qualities which enhance a player's intuition on the court.

Anthony Randolph is a wonderous talent, but his growth is stunted because Nelson has no idea how to use him. Instead of his talent being capitalized on, he is used for trade bait.

The only reasons Stephen Curry is garnering a starter's minutes is because of the lack of help at the point guard position and Curry's own keen understanding of the game and his unflappable nature.

If for some reason Riley allows Nelson to remain, then the coach needs to recognize that some semblance of defense is needed to compete in the highly crowded Western Conference.

The West is known for their transition offense and their tendency to push the ball up court, but the best teams in the conference are the ones who take pride in defense, and realize how relevant it is to their outcomes.

Until the Warriors decide amongst themselves that the only way they will improve is to give consistent efforts on defense, they are doomed to be the league's highest scoring team, and the worst defensively.

Golden State must also use their assured lottery pick on a player who can help the team and not on the one which is garnering the most attention through the media.

The Warriors got lucky with Curry, but if a player like John Wall is within reach, then Golden State would do well to extend their arms and grab him. He is a once in a lifetime talent.

He will be the type of player who defines his position, but the chances of the Warriors landing him are slim. They should pray that Georgetown's Greg Monroe decides to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the draft.

In my opinion, Monroe at six foot eleven and blessed with superior passing skills is the perfect fit for the Warriors due to his uncanny ability to find open teammates in the perfect position to score.

It's no secret that Golden State is weak in the post, and although Monroe is no banger, he is intelligent and adept at securing favorable positioning for rebounds, which is another Warrior flaw.

The Warriors have a decent foundation upon which to build with Monta Ellis and Curry leading the way. But the question is, does management seize the moment and act on the future, or do they continue on their current path?

The choice seems easy to me, and with the type of support the Warriors are able to sustain despite their misgivings and lack of direction, it should be even easier for management.