My expectations are real low right now, but I think this team is exciting at least. We got opportunities to see a bigger lineup out there with Andris Biedrins Brandan Wright Anthony Randolph Marco Belinelli Corey Maggette Stephen Jackson Marcus Williams I like CJ Watson and Kelenna Azubuike The more big men we get the better I think our team will be. We certainly got a few more than we did last year.
i doubt we'll make the playoffs this year, but if monta returns a month into the season, and is pretty much ready to play, i think we should be able to win 35 games at least.
Missing out on Elton Brand really hurt, but it depends on which big man we get. I read Zach Randolph is available and he can score and rebound, but he's not a great fit on a running team like the Warriors. He and Mags will have trouble sharing the ball, so he would be a disasterous choice. Chris Wilcox? I think he's a good fit, but we'll need a PG who will get the ball to him. If not he won't be as effective.
I guess my expectations are low as well. I kind of view the Warriors like I view the SF Giants. I want the Warriors to play as many young guys as possible, at the cost of winning games. The future is bright, the present should be used to shine the light forward.
Up front I'll say I'm an optimist. I think the sky's the limit with this team. Yes, Monta will be out 3 months, but that could be worse, and there are many other star players who have missed an entire season. Hopefully he can make 100% recovery. But looking at this roster, I think we've gotten better from last year. We lost Pietrus/Barnes/Baron/POB/Kosta and gained Mags/Marcus Williams/Turiaf plus Morrow/Hendrix and my favorite X-Factor Anthony Randolph. Some people would argue we didn't "lose" Pietrus and Barnes because they wanted them gone anyway. But, mainly, the team lost Baron Davis, as we all know. Now, it still has yet to play itself out. Baron was awesome, but in my mind there was only so far he could take this team. He wasn't a true leader-by-example. For how much he did for GS and its fans, he was still me-first and dominated the basketball for 95% of every game, even if he was shooting 3-20. This team will be without it's biggest superstar, yes, but it just may have a chance to become a better "team" in terms of sharing the ball and letting others (Monta, Beans, Marco, Randolph) get more touches and feel involved. I think the biggest unknown right now is PG. Will Marcus Williams regain his college magic or will he prove to be a bust? But I still think this team is better than last year once Monta gets healthy. We have landed a potential superstar in draft pick Anthony Randolph. Just wait till he earns his minutes. He will be getting as much if not more "buzz" as Monta got when he first emerged. Randolph's development into a starter will change the entire scope of this franchise and will make people forget about Baron. The first few months could be rough as the team tries to find its identity. It seems like this roster was built to feature Monta, and now he's out. So that's going to take some adjusting. But who better to adjust than the mastermind Don Nelson. In my opinion Nellie is more responsible for the winning attitude here than Baron or Jax or Monta ever were. He'll find a way to win with this group until Monta gets back. I'm excited to see if he really does plan to use the young guys. Marco/Wright/Hendrix/Morrow/Randolph -- is there a potential star in there? I don't know about everyone else but I'm stoked to see how the new team plays as a TEAM without Baron. I think they have a shot at POs. But what do I know -- I'm an optimist.
Well put, AO. I also agree that most of the credit should be given to Nellie. People like to rag on the guy but he's really a great coach. I hope one day he gets to win a championship, if not with the Warriors.
Nelson's just not a really good "all-around" coach in the last few decades. He was more defensive minded earlier in his career and he'd probably play more centers. Nelson is a great judge of talent, though. I just wish he'd give the rooks a chance and especially give the bigs more time to develop.
I don't think many people here aren't aware of that! But, this team has a very good young nucleus, and is in great financial situation for the first time in many years. In a year or two, with a FA signing and a little luck we could be pretty good, we'll see.
Thats a bitch about Monte...How long do you guys have to cancel his contract if his injury is devastating?
Well he probably violated his contract by doing something risky he couldnt. Its like the Vlad Rad snowboarding accident. By contract he wasnt allowed to snowboard, the Lakers could have voided his contract if they chose to at the time.
Yeah, I think that was the whole point of the Warriors investigating the incident, to protect themselves later if necessary. The fact that Ellis admitted he lied indicates he's in a bad position if it comes down to that, although we still don't know exactly what happened. One potential problem I see is what happens if Monta comes back and can play but can never get back to his former self? That might be very possible with an injury like that, especially for Monta whose game relies so heavily on speed and jumping ability. Let's say he comes back and he's 80%, well how do you prove that? He can say hey I came back from the injury and I'm still playing every day. If his scoring goes down he could use any number of excuses for that (they made me a point guard, Maggette is handling more of the scoring load, whatever). Hopefully he gets fined heavily (use that money to re-sign Mullin) but comes back 100% and plays well and everything is forgiven. I'm not completely convinced though, especially since no one is talking.
You hit on my point exactly...Do you know what the intricate rules of something like that is? Do the Warriors just have to take the risk before the see him back in action? Or can they watch him play for a few weeks and then void his contract if he is a shell of his former self? Touchy situation Im quite curious about.
I am not sure how the team will start the season. But I think they will finish it and look like a good team. I like the pieces of Maggette, Jackson, Harrington, Biedrins, Monta Ellis, and all the potential on the bench. Missing Ellis for perhaps the rest of 2008 will suck. But I think by the end of the year we will have found some diamonds in the rough (perhaps Williams, Belinelli, Wright, Randolph, etc.) I think it would take a perfect season from this roster to make the playoffs. But I think they will come out and compete and win many games, and we will be satisfied by the end of the season with what we have.