NBA Playoffs 2011: Zach Randolph and 5 Players the GS Warriors Need to Watch
Not only have these 2011 NBA playoffs been exciting, but they are also encouraging to Golden State Warrior fans. It's looking like all a team has to do is just get into the playoffs at any seed and anything is possible.
With all five starters from last year under contract and presumably coming back next season, if each of them improves on their game, maybe next year they could be the Warriors everyone will be talking about next postseason.
So while we wait to see what draft pick we end up with, while we continue to watch the playoffs, these are the five guys who all the starters should be watching alongside with us.
Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook
1 of 5
Three years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted a smallish two-guard in hopes of making him a point guard. Three years later, they are vying for a NBA championship. Sure it helps that he has Kevin Durant and others on his team, but Westbrook is a huge part of their success.
Curry was a really small two-guard whom the Warriors drafted two years ago to become their point guard. The results haven't been quite the same.
At least we know it can be done.
I think Curry can make that transition to becoming an elite point guard in this league, and he can only benefit by watching Westbrook and learn how to run a team and transform into an elite point guard—one who can really score too.
They are both elite scorers—while Westbrook is much stronger and faster than Curry, Stephen makes up for that with a lethal outside shot.
I hope that Curry can gain the same confidence that Westbrook has in his ability and start shooting the ball at least 17 times a game, just maybe not forcing the ball as much.
While Kevin Durant is absolutely the best player on the Thunder, Westbrook is the floor general. While Ellis is the best player the Warriors have, they need the same leadership that Westbrook brings from Curry.
If Curry can also make the jump in assist totals like Westbrook has, drafting two guards and making them into point guards might become the new trend of the NBA.
Monta Ellis and Dwyane Wade
2 of 5
If Monta Ellis can turn into the Dwyane Wade of the Warriors, they would become a force to be reckoned with. And it's not that far off, either.
While Wade is bigger, they both bring a lot to the table for their teams.
Both can take it to the rim and are lightning quick. They are both elite scorers with Ellis as a better three-point shooter. If Ellis can learn some defensive tendencies from Wade, he could be on his way to competing with him.
Offensively, their numbers are very similar. You could even say that Ellis had better numbers overall this past season factoring shooting percentage, etc., but it's the end of the game that is separating the two.
The Warriors had trouble closing out games this year and seemed to be missing that killer instinct.
If Ellis can turn in on the way Dwyane Wade can in the pivotal moments in the games, the Warriors can turn a lot of those losses into wins very quickly.
What Ellis should be watching and learning from Wade, is how to handle the game in the fourth quarter—there are few who are better than him in doing so.
Wade is the guy the Heat turn to in the end of games (there is a reason LeBron James wanted to play alongside him) and if Ellis can turn into Dwyane Wade when it matters, then the Warriors could be seeing a lot more wins next year.
Dorell Wright and Jason Terry
3 of 5
A big reason why the Dallas Mavericks look like title contenders is their bench play, led by Jason Terry.
Terry is annually the best sixth-man in the league, and I think Dorell Wright would be perfect in that spot next year for the Warriors.
When the starters are struggling, Terry comes in and provides an instant boost to the offense.
I would love for Wright to come off of the bench next year and provide the same impact for Golden State.
The Warriors starting unit have enough offense, and if they could add a defender at Wright's current spot and have Dorell come off of the bench to do the same things that Terry is doing, the Warriors bench would now include a sixth man of the year candidate, while not leaving us to guess if the Warriors will get any bench production in each given night.
We've seen through this playoffs how important Terry is to the Mavericks. With similar numbers (Wright averaged almost four more rebounds a game than Terry), provided the Warriors can bring in someone else to be a starter at small forward (Shane Battier? Memphis can't keep everybody), strengthening the Warriors bench is off to a great start.
How much more valuable would Wright be as the first option off the bench rather than the fourth option as a starter?
David Lee and Zach Randolph
4 of 5
Last summer, if I were to have seen that the Warriors traded for power forward Zach Randolph, I would have thrown the remote through the TV.
That same time I was really excited that the Warriors signed David Lee.
What a difference nine months make.
Randolph has really come alive this season, especially through the playoffs, leading Memphis to an upset victory over the Spurs.
Although, after watching that whole series, it didn't seem like an upset at all and now they are in a position for a possible Western Conference finals appearance.
David Lee is at home watching the playoffs on television.
The comparisons between these two are eerily similar.
Both can knock down the outside jumper, score down low, are great passers and no one is going to confuse either of them with anyone for the All-Defensive team. They are even both left-handed. Take out their looks and you could hardly tell them apart—except that Randolph has separated himself and made the leap into the NBA's elite this postseason.
I don't think there is any reason that Lee can't make a Randolph-type transformation and become one of the premier power forwards in the NBA. Hopefully from watching Zach turn himself into an elite player, Lee can look at himself and think "why not me too?" and do it.
After all, Lee has better career averages than Randolph in everything except for points.
Andris Biedrins and Tyson Chandler
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Tyson Chandler can control the paint without even being a threat on offense. He is a rebounding machine and an aggressive shot-blocker and terrific defender who brings a ton of energy to every game.
Andris Biedrins is currently none of these things.
Biedrins has shown flashes of brilliance. In fact, if you put up this wonderful season by Chandler against Biedrins' most productive season, Biedrins wins. However, lately Andris has been playing like he is scared of the ball.
Chandler isn't incapable of producing anything on offense; he is terrific at finishing on the break and all Jason Kidd has to do is throw the ball up in the vicinity of him and Tyson will throw it down with force. Why can't that be Curry throwing it up to Biedrins?
We've all seen Biedrins on YouTube and, unless someone is a master at video manipulation, he can get up and throw down alley-oops just like Chandler does.
Andris has appeared to have lost all confidence in his basketball abilities but, if he can refocus defensively, bring energy and watch how Chandler handles himself surrounded by scorers, maybe he can learn something from him and get back to the player we all thought he could be.
If Biedrins can give at least 75 percent of what Chandler is giving the Mavericks, and I think he has it in him somewhere, then we could be watching the Warriors in next year's playoffs.
