NBA Free Agency 2011: Upcoming GS Warriors Free Agents Plead Their Case

As the rest of the Warriors crawl to the season's end, four of their teammates have 10 games remaining on the schedule to prove their worth to an NBA franchise—in the Bay Area or elsewhere.

Technically, six Warriors could be free agents this summer. Swingman Reggie Williams is the team's only restricted free agent, and he's expected to cash in on a nice raise from his $760,000 salary. The Warriors also have three unrestricted free agents on the roster: Acie Law, Vladimir Radmanovic and newcomer Al Thornton.

The other two who could be free agents—Lou Amundson and Charlie Bell—will likely spend next season in the Bay. Bell would have a hard time finding work in the league, let alone finding the $4.1 million he could opt out of this summer. Amundson holds a player option for $2.4 million—money he won't find elsewhere with the uncertainty surrounding the league's expiring collective bargaining agreement combined with his disappointing, injury-plagued season.

So, the focus turns to the four free agents likely to hit the market this summer. Which, if any, of these players deserves a spot on next year's Warriors club?

Law, seen throughout the season as one of the weakest spots on a lackluster bench, is making a strong case to top Riley's to-do list. He's put together an impressive March—34 assists to 14 turnovers in the 14 games this month—and has shown a grittiness on the defensive end that's hard to miss on an otherwise defenseless squad.

Radmanovic, on the other hand, has continued his forgettable—and frustrating—season. He's connected on just 11 of his 31 three-pointers this month (33 percent) which, while far from terrible, is hardly justification to keep giving him minutes considering that's his biggest (or only) offensive threat.

So the real debate is Williams vs. Thornton. Thornton has the size advantage (6'8", 235 lbs to Williams' 6'6", 205-pound frame) and is one of the few Warriors capable of creating offense from the post. Williams is the better shooter of the two and gives the Warriors another player capable of creating offense off the dribble.

(For the record, both are horrendous on the defensive end which, unfortunately, carries no real weight with this regime.)

Thornton's enjoyed the lion's share of the minutes since his arrival—Williams had three single-digit minute outings before Thornton arrived, he's had four since—and, for the most part, he's responded. He's shooting a blistering 57.1 percent from the field and poured in 22 points in 23 minutes in his seventh game with the club.

Then again, he's shown some of the reasons why he can't stick with a club. The former lottery pick has just four assists to 15 turnovers in his 12 games here and has reached double-figures just once since that 23-point outburst.

Williams, meanwhile, has been the poster child of this second unit—extremely potent at times, painstakingly inconsistent over the season. He's had seven games with 18 or more points but also has as many scoreless efforts.

Pick your poison, Riley.

My guess is Thornton gets the nod. His size alone gives the illusion of a conventional lineup for this club, something Riley's struggled to show that he can amass since the new ownership parted ways with Don Nelson. Also, his proficiency in the post allows him a smoother transition between the forward positions than Williams' attempts to slide between small forward and shooting guard.

Either way—and I never thought I'd be saying this—let's hope they do the smart thing and keep Law on board.