http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9632 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span style="font-family:Tahoma">The Golden State Warriors have a reputation of being a team that struggles with rebounding, but so far this offseason, that doesn't seem to be an issue. With the shocking news that one of the team's captains and leaders, Baron Davis, had decided to opt out of the final year of his contract and sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors' executives have recovered just fine. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">It's been a busy summer for the team, signing seven players to new deals and ready to welcome five new faces to the roster. But the Warriors have done well by adding several pieces that directly fit the team's needs and have solidified the pieces needed for success in the future. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Although the future looks bright, has the team achieved the difficult balance of keeping their eyes on long-term glory while still achieving short-term success?</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Players Added in Free Agency</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Corey Maggette: signed to a five-year, $50-million contract via free agency Grade: B After losing Davis' scoring, the Warriors basically got it all back by signing Maggette. The general consensus is that Maggette will immediately step in and add another dimension to the Warriors' dynamic offensive arsenal �" in addition to running and gunning, the Warriors now have a bona fide half-court option. Maggette's ability to get to the basket, leading to fouls and plenty of free-throw opportunities, will alleviate the pressure on Monta Ellis and ensure the team doesn't go through significant dry spells as it did oftentimes last season. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Perhaps more important, though, is Maggette's willingness to serve as a role model to his young Warrior teammates. "Just my work ethic, being in the gym early, being in the weight room, taking care of my body and eating the right way," Maggette told Bay Area media after signing his new deal. "[Warriors' VP Chris Mullin] has really wanted to stress that with the guys in teaching the young guys, first of all leadership in what you do on the court, but also what you do off the court in how you train and how you work out. He wants to really instill that in the young guys at a young age and I'm the perfect guy to do that."</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Although the Warriors slightly overpaid, basically bidding against themselves since most teams could only offer Maggette the mid-level contract, his addition is a solid one for a Warrior squad that values offensive versatility and needs his leadership. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Ronny Turiaf: signed to a four-year, $17-million contract via free agency Grade: B- Turiaf's addition is going to serve as a jolt to the Warriors who desperately needed to add depth and defensive ability off the bench. A fun-loving player who had the admiration of all of his teammates in Los Angeles, Turiaf will be a nice locker room presence for a team that is going to need some glue to bring together all the new pieces on the roster. He exudes exhilaration and joy when he's playing basketball, which will only be compounded in the free-wheeling, run-and-gun system the Warriors run; expect plenty of smiles and dancing from him on the bench, as he'll soon become a fan favorite.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">On the court, Turiaf is looking forward to contributing differently than he did with the Lakers. Known primarily as a physical, hard-nosed defender and rebounder, Turiaf feels that his offensive game has been underrated. "In the past, I was unable to showcase my offensive game because the offense was set up for other people that were more skilled than I was," he said, referring to Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol. "But I can shoot the wide open jumper and score on the block. I scored 40 in college, so I know I can definitely score." </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Although he's a nice piece off the bench and will help Andris Biedrins with rebounding duties, Turiaf isn't a difference-maker. He was signed to be a role player and will do well in that limited role, but needs to develop the offensive versatility Nellie requires of his players to get significant playing time. That doesn't mean he won't have value, as the intangibles he brings will be important for Golden State.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Kelenna Azubuike: re-signed to a three-year, $9-million contract via matching Clippers' offer sheet Grade: B+ Signed for a very reasonable contract, the Warriors bring back Azubuike as yet another piece the team can turn to off the bench, unexpectedly matching the Clippers' offer sheet after flirting with the possibility of signing Maurice Evans. Azubuike's build is eerily similar to that of new starting swingman Corey Maggette, who should directly influence Azubuike, 24, and help him develop. He's been working on his jumpshot all summer long and should be more of an offensive producer next season. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Anthony Morrow: signed a non-guaranteed deal via free agency Grade: A- Morrow has been the star of the Warriors' Summer League, averaging 18.6 points in six games at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. He's shown tremendous shooting ability, knocking down an astounding 16 of 19 three-point attempts. The deal is not guaranteed and will require Morrow to work hard for the 15th spot on the roster, but he's a good prospect that can develop in the D-League if the Warriors choose to keep him.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Monta Ellis: re-signed to a six-year, $67-million contract Grade: B+ It's a large deal for Ellis who is going to have to prove himself now as the team's starting point guard. Ellis has done a tremendous job of improving year after year, developing as one of the most efficient scorers in the game. But the Warriors are going to ask more of him now as he steps into the role that Baron Davis handled so well for the team when he was healthy. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Ellis, 22, already does a lot of the things the team needs him to do �" score, particularly, and he's a solid rebounder for his size �" but the progress seen to his offensive game hasn't been seen on defense or in distributing the ball. Frankly, it wasn't as though Davis was all that good defensively, either, but for the Warriors to get to the next level as a team, Ellis has to become at least an average defender. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">This grade easily changes if Ellis proves he can be a point guard, but there should be some slight reservations until then. He must be able to keep up his scoring while setting the table for others and playing good defense, by no means an easy feat. Only a handful of players can do that in the NBA and Ellis certainly has the ability to be one of them.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Andris Biedrins: re-signed to a six-year contract worth a guaranteed $54-million, up to $62-million with incentives Grade: A+ Andris Biedrins is quite simply the anchor upon which the Warriors' defense leans on. Without Biedrins in the middle, an already questionable defensive team becomes downright atrocious. The Warriors did a fantastic job with this contract, guaranteeing Biedrins $9-million per year and offering incentive bonuses that would increase his salary. The deal is relatively cheap when you compare Biedrins to comparable players like Chris Kaman, Emeka Okafor, Andrew Bogut, and Samuel Dalembert, especially when one factors in that Biedrins is only 22-years old.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Many argue that Biedrins' deal is too much for a player that hasn't displayed much of an offensive game. Biedrins does, however, have offensive skill �" he just hasn't broken out of his comfort zone to show it in games. In practice, he's worked on his mid-range shots and pick-and-roll cuts to the basket. Seeing his improvement with the pick-and-roll in game situations in addition to how far he's come as a free-throw shooter shows that he has a high ceiling and will continue to get better. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Players Acquired Via Trade</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Marcus Williams: acquired from the New Jersey Nets for a future draft pick Grade: C Williams is a big guard who hasn't lived up to his potential since being drafted out of UConn in 2006. The Warriors hope Williams can be the primary back up to Ellis, utilizing Williams' open-court ability and solid shooting as a reliable hand off the bench. The pick the Warriors gave up for this deal is highly protected �" it's lottery protected in 2011, #1-11 protected in 2012, #1-10 proctected in 2013, and the Nets will get a second-round pick in 2013 and 2015 if the Warriors haven't given up the pick yet. Considering giving up the pick isn't going to hurt the Warriors at all, Williams is a pretty solid pick up. Whether or not he can actually earn playing time, though, is yet to be seen as he's going to have to immediately work on his conditioning.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Players Added Through the Draft</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Anthony Randolph: 14th pick in 2008 NBA Draft Grade: A Mullin and Nelson feel like they picked up a star in Randolph and were absolutely ecstatic that he fell to them at 14. "We were sitting there kind of amazed he was still there," Mullin said on Draft Night. "He's one of those guys that has star quality."</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Observers got a glimpse of some of that talent in Las Vegas Summer League action, where Randolph was silky-smooth with the ball in his hands and showed a variety of ways he can score �" whether it was jump shooting or penetration, Randolph got it done. Nelson surely will be excited to have a player that Mullin described as a "nightmare mismatch kind of guy," and everyone knows how Nellie likes to create mismatches.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">The Warriors' philosophy in the draft of late has been going after length and athleticism, which the team definitely got with Randolph and has with Brandan Wright. The hope for the team is simple �" by picking up length, they're looking to get players that can rebound and block shots, but perhaps more importantly, that length may translate into broken up passes and disruptive perimeter defense. The Warriors want to get back to the frenetic melee defensive style they played two seasons ago in their <span style="color:#c80000">playoff</span> run, which will require activity, energy, and deflections. Randolph's addition certainly helps in that long-term goal.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Richard Hendrix: 49th pick in 2008 NBA Draft Grade: C+ The Warriors are high on Hendrix's NBA-readiness and feel that he'll be able to immediately step onto an NBA court and contribute in the paint. Some in the organization have likened Hendrix to Utah's Paul Millsap. Hendrix was slowed with a leg injury for most of the summer, but finished averaging 7.6 boards per game, a very solid showing for the young man. He'll immediately challenge Wright for power forward minutes off the bench. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Business to Be Done: The Warriors have done a good job of rounding out their roster, but there certainly are some things left to consider.</span> <blockquote> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">• One more piece: The roster, as constructed, is a borderline playoff team that may need to overplay and catch lightning in a bottle to punch their ticket into the offseason in an increasingly difficult Western Conference. But with some tradable assets, the team could possibly look to make one more splash with a trade. Many believe that Al Harrington is on the trading block and he could be packaged with some of the team's youngsters (Marco Belinelli? Brandan Wright? Kosta Perovic?) to make a significant upgrade to the team. • Finding another point guard: The Warriors shouldn't be completely comfortable with Ellis and Williams at the point guard spot as neither has really proven that they can handle the rigors of floor generalship at the NBA level. A veteran point guard would be a very nice pickup to help ease the youngsters' transition. • Deciding on non-guarantees: Both C.J. Watson and Morrow have contracts that are not guaranteed for the season. The two young guards played very well in the summer and will have to earn their way onto the roster at training camp, but the duo could be a valuable set of developing players on the Warriors' roster.</span> </blockquote> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Total Offseason Grade: A- There've been many fans out there that have said the Warriors' ownership is frugal or cheap, but after smartly committing $206-million in free-agency, that seems to hardly be the case. It's important to point out, though, that this spending would not have been possible without the much-maligned Jason Richardson trade from the 2007 Draft Night, which allowed the Warriors to purge Richardson's contract and avoid luxury taxes now that Biedrins and Ellis are back in the fold. The team's decision against spending the $10-million Traded Player Exception certainly made dishing contracts to their youngsters significantly easier.</span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">The Warriors have addressed three very glaring needs during the offseason: depth, defense, and a sometimes stagnant offense. To say that the squad is on the right path is a complete understatement, as they've done a very nice job of locking up their future with Ellis, Maggette, and Biedrins in it for the long haul. With the young talent developing around solid veterans like Stephen Jackson and Ronny Turiaf, the team should be competitive next season as well as in the future. </span> <span style="font-family:Tahoma">Another piece may be needed to make the next jump, but the Warriors have the assets and roster flexibility to make that move if it presents itself.</div></span>
Thanks for the link, a pretty good read and I mostly agree with it. I find it odd that he praises the Hendrix pick and then gives that piece a C+. Huh? I like Hendrix too, he addresses the most glaring need for the Warriors and he's a deep 2nd round pick, how does he get a C? Also interesting to read the Clippers write-up, they give them an A for Baron Davis. I'd say A for acquiring him, D for giving him a 5-year contract. Since the writer seems to be using contract length, injury history, and long-term implications as parameters for other players, I don't see how the Baron signing rates as an A for the Clips. I think there's a very good chance that contract is going to look terrible 4 years from now, and I don't think they're going deep into the playoffs this year either.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HiRez @ Aug 4 2008, 12:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Thanks for the link, a pretty good read and I mostly agree with it. I find it odd that he praises the Hendrix pick and then gives that piece a C+. Huh? I like Hendrix too, he addresses the most glaring need for the Warriors and he's a deep 2nd round pick, how does he get a C? Also interesting to read the Clippers write-up, they give them an A for Baron Davis. I'd say A for acquiring him, D for giving him a 5-year contract. Since the writer seems to be using contract length, injury history, and long-term implications as parameters for other players, I don't see how the Baron signing rates as an A for the Clips. I think there's a very good chance that contract is going to look terrible 4 years from now, and I don't think they're going deep into the playoffs this year either.</div> Yeah, I'm with you on all points you bring up. I even commented in the article about the Hendrix grade. For the most part, the reviews (for all teams) are a good read but flawed because the grade contradicts with the reason.
I agree with the off season grade. The warriors made some good moves. The warriors won't be world beaters, but they got depth + young talent + decent to good veterans. If we get this winning mentality going and we land a franchise player, we don't have to do the lame tanking to get the top 3 lotto pick. The key is to be respectable since we were so bad for so many years.
