Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis: Could One Be Dealt If Warriors Finish Under .500?

The Golden State Warriors have made definite improvements over last season, and the proof can be found in their 30-37 record, which is already more wins than they earned during the 2009-10 season.

Point guard Stephen Curry has also shown growth in his sophomore season as his scoring average is higher, and he has demonstrated more leadership as a lead guard. Teammate Monta Ellis has been as dependable as ever.

Newcomers David Lee and Dorrell Wright have also left their mark as Lee's 15.8 points per game and 9.5 rebounds have given the Warriors the interior presence they were so desperately seeking.

Wright has boosted his scoring average from a 8.7 career mark to 16.2 points per game this season, and he has been the team's best perimeter defender as well as another decent offensive option.

Those are all promising signs for the Warriors, but there is a deeper truth within their 30-37 record. It mainly revolves around the prospects of another missed postseason, and quite possibly yet another losing season.

New owner Joe Lacob has said that anything less than the playoffs would be unacceptable this season, but the chances of reaching the postseason are slim since the Warriors are currently seven games out of the eighth position with only 15 games left to play.

Trying to reach 40 wins would be a more reasonable goal for the Warriors, but would that be enough to prevent Lacob from following up on a threat he made earlier in the season.

Lacob recently said that he would contemplate trading Curry if the young point guard didn't show more improvement, and although those comments may have been a result of emotions, could they re-appear during the offseason?

Most of the Warriors' issues can be traced to a very familiar source, and despite the proclamations that his primary focus would be defense, Golden State is still horrible on that end of the floor.

The Warriors' opponents out-rebound them, shoot for a higher percentage from the field and ultimately average more points.

The Warriors' perpetual ineptitude on the defensive end will likely ensure that their run of failing to reach the postseason continues, and unless there is a culture change made, it really doesn't matter what the roster looks like.

Defense has to be more than just a catch phrase, and until the Warriors' ownership and management buys into the concept, the team will continue to allow opponents to average 105 points per game or more.

The improvements on the offensive end are great, but the Warriors have never had any problems scoring the ball, and Lee's poor defense in the paint actually nullifies his contributions on the offensive end.

Consider the Phoenix Suns for a moment.

Phoenix is probably the team that most resembles the Warriors, and the Suns have managed to keep their heads and record above water, despite losing arguably their best player in Amar'e Stoudemire.

So the Warriors make roster moves that visibly improve their team, and yet they are still below a team that lost perhaps its best player?

That anomaly is a little hard to understand, but maybe the bottom line isn't.

It's time that the Warriors stopped paying lip service to becoming a better team, and actually made moves that point the franchise in that direction.

The only way to do that is by making a commitment to defense, and if that means acquiring a player to instill those principles, then either Curry or Ellis might be a small price to pay.