Tags: Basketball, Sports, warriors, Work
Hmm.
Monday, July 26th, 2010Warriors Summer League Impressions
Monday, July 19th, 2010
I watch summer league every year, but I really wouldn’t recommend it to others. Summer league is low budget NBA- lesser announcing, lesser players, lesser camerawork. It’s just not that great to watch.
Nonetheless, for a die-hard Warriors fan like myself, it’s a way to get a start on building hope for the next year, seeing what might be, irrelevant as Summer League really is. This year was about checking out Brandan Wright, the Warriors long, athletic, skinny PF, or otherwise the guy that’s not Anthony Randolph.
I still have a lot of optimism for Wright- he came into the league with a lot of talent, he played great in camp last fall and looked like he was ready to bust out, but then he got injured and sat the year out.
Now, he’s in danger of being a journeyman bust, rather than being the young stud we all hoped for.
My notes from the first 3 Warriors Summer League games, including the third game with #1 overall pick John Wall:
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I was a little disappointed with Brandan Wright. Overall, he looked a little bit slow, didn’t work super hard. He didn’t play fierce or super aggressive. I noticed that he cannot finish with his right hand (he’s left handed), which looked really odd when he’s attacking the right side. He didn’t set such good picks, he wasn’t so quick on the pick and roll and he cannot handle the ball. He didn’t box out well, especially in the first game. During the broadcasts, the announcers talk about how the ball comes off his hand in a horizontal spin instead of with normal backspin. So that’s all the negativity. In Brandan’s defense, he looked much better in the second game than in the first, and a lot of this could be attributed to just getting the feel of the game back. On the pick and roll, a lot of times, the passers would overlook him or simply couldn’t get him the ball. He had a good stat line without being a ball hog, and he showed his length with 3 blocks in the first game. It’s obvious that despite his flaws, there weren’t people who could stop him, and that probably shows his talent. Unfortunately, Brandan only played 1.5 games, sitting out the second half of the second game, and not playing the rest of the summer league. If Brandan can regain his confidence and start attacking, he will be ok. I believe, Warriors style!
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Again, Summer League really doesn’t mean anything. It can show if you have some talent, but it doesn’t show how you’d in a real NBA game because Summer League is more like pickup, a bit unorganized in terms of team play. I remember watching Andris Biedrins his first two years, and he was absolutely terrible, there is no way you would have watched him and thought he could play. Summer League isn’t good for big men unless you can go crazy blocking shots or you have a good point feeding you (see John Wall to JeVale McGee this year).
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Anthony Morrow and Anthony Randolph have the two highest all time scoring games in Summer League history, both occurring last summer in back to back games.I saw both games, and Randolph didn’t even look that good, it was just more that the competition wasn’t there. Morrow was just lights out, and this is where you could see the structure of Summer League defenses let him have enough room where he could get the ball and his shot off at will. In the Regular Season, Morrow would get shut down completely for long stretches because he was getting smothered defensively.
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Reggie Williams: A lot of people liked how Reggie played, but I didn’t think it was so hot. It was a bit up and down, and I kind of feel like his stats were just part of the competition, rather than him dominating. Reggie was not so good on the pick and roll, and he definitely took a lot of shots, not necessarily with great shot selection either.
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Of the rest of the Warriors guys, only Andre Brown stood out. Really active, both offensively and defensively, a lot of energy. This is kind of how I wanted Wright to play. Brown didn’t have the skills Wright has, but you could tell he was busting ass.
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John Wall looked solid in his pro debut. You can tell he has some legit things going for him, he can just glide through traffic in both half and full court. Kind of like his back-court mate Gilbert Arenas. JeVale McGee was ridiculous, using his length and athleticism to just dunk on people. I thought McGee would be the next Patrick O’Bryant, but to his credit, he’s not. Whether he can fully capitalize on the talent, well, having John Wall around doesn’t hurt.
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David Lee is a Warrior and Why I Hate “Lee” (as a name) [Childhood Scars]
Saturday, July 10th, 2010
Image via Wikipedia
David Lee is going to be a Warrior (see: Golden State Warriors set to announce trade for David Lee on Friday), with the deal reported at 6 years, 80 million.
I like David Lee a lot, but I do hate the name Lee. Both as a First and Last name. And people with the name Le (Vietnamese last name), but pronounce it Lee, like Cung Le (or at least the announcer did during his last Strikeforce match). It is actually pronounced more like “lay” as in Lay’s Potato Chips.
When I was in summer school one year (sometime either 4th or 5th grade), there was a white kid named Lee (obviously) who would bully me. Not even sure it was bullying for money, he would just always flick my ears, and that would be super annoying (and painful) to me.
So I really hated that guy. And this is probably why the name when associated with white people annoys me.
For me, Lee is an Asian name (In Vietnamese, it’s actually Ly), and that surely, is just silly and wrong. Nonetheless, that’s a knee-jerk feel that I can’t get rid of rather than something based on intelligence. So I hate all non-Asian Lee. Robert E. Lee. Lee Majors, Lee Smith.
Anyway. And know there’s David Lee.
Here’s the projected lineup after the trade:
- PG: Stephen Curry – will be better than Steve Nash
- SG: Monta Ellis – if he can get back to playing off the ball, with less turnovers, this guard tandem will be amazing
- SF: Reggie Williams? They need a superior perimeter defender here, even if just in the Thabo or Bowen mode. I wonder if a Battier trade is possible. Reggie is a good talent, but not sure if a 6’3 guy without insane length or athleticism should be your SF. (edit: July 11. I was wrong, Reggie does have really good length, he has a 6’9 wingspan. But he’s also a true 6’3)
- PF: David Lee
- C: Andris Biedrins – can he be the 15 point 11 rebound pick and roll cleanup monster of two years ago, or will he let his free throw struggles affect his aggressiveness and confidence as he did last year.
I’ve linked some of the pro and cons of the trade by Marcus Thompson and Tim Kawakami.
The ultimate conclusion is this, David Lee is a good player. In fact, I didn’t even know he was an All Star last year. Anthony Randolph has the talent to be an amazing player. The fact that I’m torn on whether this is a good trade or not, probably means that it’s a fair trade on both sides.
I mentioned before I like David Lee a lot. He hustles, he’s athletic, he can finish- he is just an extremely efficient and skilled offensive player, including passing the ball (3.5 assists per game last year as a Center, including 1.5 Assist – 1 TO ratio). On defense, the experts agree that he isn’t so great, but he does rebound, and he does work hard, hustling and diving everywhere.
I actually don’t think this trade comes down to David Lee. I think it comes down to everyone else.
Particularly Brandan Wright. Wright’s just one of the forgotten worries because when the season starts he won’t have played in regular season NBA game for 2 and a half years. But he’s super-talented, super long, but if he can show he’s the real deal, we can all not worry about the trade. (I do wonder though, why couldn’t they trade Randolph for Kevin Love straight up? What also pains me is seeing Michael Beasley go to the Wolves for a second rounder. Why can’t he be a Warrior?)
What’s actually more unfortunate is that they also had to give away Turiaf, a great backup center, and Azubuike, a great swingman off the bench whom I expect to continue to improve. Hopefully, Udoh can a great defensive player with a solid mid-range jumper (I doubt his overall post play), and not just another Shelden Williams / college dominator.
So here we are again: I’m optimistic about the Warriors, because I can’t help it. I wanted the Warriors to make something happen, and they have.
Now if they can find a way to get Battier….and Udoh and Wright can pan out, and we’d have a pretty damn good team. Or at least a fun one.
Here’s a mix of David Lee highlights that shows his overall talent level:
Tags: Basketball, childhood, David Lee, warriorsRelated posts
Last Thoughts Before the NBA Draft 2010 (Warriors Fail Again?)
Monday, June 21st, 2010(Edit, June 22: Marcus Thompson, beat writer for the Warriors in the Bay Area, says all the same things I do: http://www.ibabuzz.com/warriors/2010/06/21/draft-week-warriors-hoping-for-help/)
We’re a few days away from the draft and much of what I said last month hasn’t changed.
Here are some notes on what I think will go down:
- By the way, that’s the Warriors new logo on the left. Not bad right? I still prefer the original “City” logo though.
- #1 Wizards will get John Wall. Wizards have now screwed (not directly) Warriors twice, first taking Gilbert Arenas, then taking John Wall.
- #2 76’ers should take Evan Turner, but rumors since new coach Doug Collins likes Derrick Favors more. Plus consider in the Dalembert trade to the Kings, and well, 76’ers should at least explore a trade to get maximum value if they won’t get Turner. Say….a trade with the Warriors.
- #3 Nets will pickup Turner or Favors. Simple.
- #4 Here’s where I have seen a lot of different things. Some say the Timberwolves would pickup DeMarcus Cousins, which means they would have to trade Kevin Love or Al Jefferson. I don’t buy this. As DraftExpress says, they compare Cousins to a taller Al Jefferson, and to have two really good low post players? There have been other reports they are taking Wesley Johnson, period. Let’s go with that, it makes much more sense.
- #5 Some say the Kinds would go for Greg Monroe instead of Cousins. Who knows.
#6 Warriors – here we are. If Cousins drops, take him. I say this even though I think there’s a 75% chance Cousins becomes a NBA journeyman bust. 15% chance he becomes a solid starter, like Andris Biedrins, never fulfills his potential, but does good things. 10% chance he becomes an All Star. But for the Warriors, they have to take him. He has the most talent, by far, of anyone left. Who else should they get? Monroe? Where would he play? If the Warriors don’t make any trades, he’s going to find time behind Randolph, Biedrins, Wright, and Turiaf? Tough. As for Al-Farouq Aminu, he’s another young, athletic, talented underweight power forward type with a long wingspan- that’s exactly what Randolph and Wright are. To me, that’s just too much. Make some trades, break things up, try to move up, bring someone in that you will at least play and give 20 minutes a game to. Otherwise it’s just flashes of young undeveloped, risky, talent, something the Warriors are every year. If Larry Riley thinks he may not be around after the ownership change, he might as well take risks. Not doing idiotic things, but show some risk, make things happen, show that you can do something. Some of what he can do will be restricted in terms of trading contracts, sure, but doing nothing for a lousy team definitely means “What, I can’t do better than you? You did nothing.” to a new owner.
(Edit: June 22. I saw a note that Cousins could care less about joining the Warriors. Well, neither did Curry. I think that worked out for us)
Whom I’d really like to see as a Warrior is Cal Point Guard Jerome Randle, last year’s Pac-10 Player of the Year. Yes, he’s small, but he’s not Mugsy-size either, and he can do everything in terms of the skill set really well, pass, shoot, shoot with deep range, run a team. He’s extremely quick and he did great at the Portsmouth Invitational. Draft Express has him ranked as the 2nd best PG in this draft, even though he’s projected to go really late in the second round or not at all.
He can be a Warrior. The Warriors need a good true backup PG, and no reason why Randle can’t be him.
A couple of videos:
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ESPN Insider Silliness
Thursday, June 10th, 2010Around NBA Draft time, that’s when I’m like a cocaine addict (actually, I wouldn’t know). I have to read every tidbit of news about what the Warriors are going to do- I am an endless optimist, at least on certain topics.
At this time of year, I also start considering ESPN Insider. A lot.
So there I was tempted to subscribe to see Chad Ford’s newest mock draft, hoping it would suggest the Warriors getting Evan Turner.
Looking at the 2 year subscription, $59.95, ah I guess that’s ok. But then when I saw the other option:
Do Your Part – Give Up Your Hardcopy & Go Green!
ESPN Insider/ESPN Magazine Digital Version – Biennial – $59.95
First of all, I didn’t even know biennial is what you call 2 years. Secondly, I am all down for helping the environment, but it’s the exact same price as the paper version.
As Jimmy would say, “Do MY part? Why don’t you go do YOUR part?” You want me to save you money with less printing and you’re charging me the same. You could also least contribute $10 of that amount to environmental causes, instead of trying to guilt-trip people.
In addition, before this, I saw Insider’s special offer. 1 Year Membership + 2010 World Cup for the 360 for 59.95. That seemed good. Of course, they’re smart and hide the prices of all the other packages so you can’t immediately compare. Which of course I did. And ultimately, I’m there for the Insider subscription, not to be upsold on the game. The 1 year with game is the same cost as the 2 year. And while I’m not going to argue that overall, the 1 year is a good value, it turns me off because the 1 year is the same price as the 2 year, and there is no option to go 1 year without the “great value” package.
WTF ESPN Insider.
Well, I still haven’t subscribed. Additionally, I can’t read the paper version of the magazine since I live in Vietnam.
You almost had me ESPN. But then you threw it all away. Shame, I actually was half-excited to think I would get 2010 World Cup too. I would like to see the conversion numbers though, maybe I’m one of the few who didn’t go for it.
Tags: Basketball, draft, espn, evan turner, jimmy, nba, Sports, warriorsRelated posts
NBA Draft Time! (My Ideas to Revamp the Warriors starring Elton Brand)
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Image via Wikipedia
It was another losing Warriors season, so that means this is my highlight. Again.
I say that every year. No seriously, check out my posts from previous years:
2009:
- http://www.ispithotfire.com/2009/06/06/with-the-7th-pick-in-the-2009-nba-draft-the-warriors-select/
- http://www.ispithotfire.com/2009/06/26/nba-draft-time/
2008:
- http://www.ispithotfire.com/2008/06/05/the-nba-lottery-is-a-sham/
- http://www.ispithotfire.com/2008/06/26/the-nba-draft-is-here-almost/
Normally, I’d review my predictions and assessments from previous years, but that would make this post too long. To sum-up, Anthony Randolph still may be Stromile Swift, I still think Ricky Rubio will be fantastic, I didn’t have any idea Stephen Curry would be…Stephen Curry-Nash, and Michael Beasley has been disappointing.
Here’s the Warriors situation:
- Need a new owner
- Got screwed in the draft. Again.
- The Warriors have great depth and skill at the 1,2,3 positions: Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Reggie Williams, Kelenna Azuibuike, CJ Watson (free agent), Anthony Morrow.
- The Warriors are young.
Needs:
- Defense: Rebounding, Perimeter Lockdown, Interior Defense. They can already shoot 3’s, slash, and penetrate as well as any other team.
- Monta Ellis is a tremendous talent, but he needs to learn to play off the ball. If he can, I think that’s a 5-10 win gain for the Warriors. Seriously. His stats are amazing, he just needs to be able to get them while playing naturally with Curry’s. If he can do that, watch out!
- Anthony Randolph to learn the game, gain some basketball IQ
- Brandan Wright to play like he should. I’m a believer!
- Andris to gain his mojo (aggressiveness back)
The Draft:
- John Wall: won’t be a Warrior
- Evan Turner: maybe there’s a chance? Trade scenarios below, he would help in rebounding, perimeter lockdown. Evan Turner is what Anthony Randolph could end up being, but in SF/SG size. Turner is all that, right now.
- DeMarcus Cousins: this guy is the ultimate risk, the ultimate question is regardless of attitude, immaturity, whatever. Does he have a motor? Does he work on every play? If so, I say take the risk, if not, then pass. No one wants to pass up on the next Amare, but GMs know that Amares are rare, so the odds are good they will survive. I always think of Eddy Curry when I think of Cousins.
- Derrick Favors: worth the risk, big time finishing big man who can rebound and defend.
- Wesley Johnson: can defend, run, dunk, shoot 3’s. Compared to Shawn Marion. Do it.
- Cole Aldrich: if he were black, he’d be worth more in my mind. Then again, if he were black maybe he’d be Shelden Williams. If he could be a 30 minute, 10 point 12 rebound, 2 blocks, he’d be the old Andris. So at his best he could be a more physical Andris, which we could use if that’s what he is.
Unfortunately, with the #6 pick, the Warriors don’t seem to be able to get any of those guys except for Aldrich, and I doubt Aldrich is a less foul-prone, better defending Andris who can also run the floor just as well. Everyone else in the draft can’t play immediately for the Warriors, and they don’t need more young wait-and-see talent. The #6 for me is a freebie, give it away to anyone to make a deal.
We’ll have to look for trades. Stephen Curry is untouchable. I like Monta, but he has some serious weaknesses, but he also has a lot of heart. I think the Warriors need to combine the pick with somebody to go for someone. The rest of the players that they can get at #6 are too young, skilled with some question marks. That’s like every Warrior already. Warriors, when not injured, actually have too many players to develop.
Make something happen! I say this every year about the Warriors, when you suck every year, you might as well risk a ton, because you can always still suck. And yet the Warriors never do anything. And suck. That is a lot of sucking. Suck. Suck. Suck.
So, the potential trades: (I’m going to pretend I’m like Vinh in Fantasy Basketball)
- 76ers: Andris Biedrins + Corey Maggette + #6 Pick to the 76ers for Elton Brand and #2 Evan Turner. http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5523004
- 76ers: Elton Brand + #2 (Evan Turner) for Kelenna Azuibuike + Andris Biedrins + Anthony Randolph + #6 http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5529562
- 76ers: Andre Iguodala for Monta Ellis + #6 http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5529551
- Timberwolves: Al Jefferson for Monta Ellis + #6: http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5529535
- Grizzlies: OJ Mayo + #4 (Wesley Johnson / Demarcus Cousins / Derrick Favors) for Monta Ellis + #6
- Heat: Michael Beasley for Anthony Randolph
With the 76’ers, I think they’re open to something if you take Elton Brand. I have no idea what’s wrong with Brand, whether he’s just done, or it’s the system he’s in. I like to think he has a physical 15 pts/9 boards/1.5 blocks in him every 30 minutes since he’s only 31, but look what happened to Jermaine O’Neal. Nonetheless, of the three trades I’m thinking of, #2 probably is the best.
In Trade #2, the 76ers get Andris (he’s still only 24, and his contract is not ridiculous as long as last year was a fluke), Kelenna (good athletic swingman off the bench with a great contract, 1 year left at low dollars), and Anthony Randolph (the talent). They trash Brand and give up Turner, but still get a #6- yes it’s a lousy #6. All 3 Warriors can play up tempo in the 76ers system, only Andris has the long term deal and it’s around half the dollars per year of Brand’s. Warriors get a hopefully, not trashed Elton Brand, good low post and physical presence, but they get Evan Turner, whom they need a ton. He’s a perfect SF for them, can defend, rebound, pass. It’d be AMAZING!
In Trade #1, the 76ers get Maggette and Andris. Now that I think about it, this trade just wouldn’t go through. Next.
Trade #3: Iguodala for Monta Ellis + #6. Iguodala is great for the Warriors, a guy who can finish, defend, and pass. Curry to Iggy! The 76’ers get fairly good value with the extra #6 (so they’d have both the #2 + #6 in this year’s draft for rebuilding), and the contracts are the same. I like this trade a lot as well.
Trade #4: Same trade as trade 3 but for Al Jefferson. Can Al play up tempo? I don’t give a crap. He’s a super skilled post big man who can rebound. Not necessarily a great defender, but improving. Rumors are Timberwolves are open to moving him, and this is the only deal that makes sense in talent. The Wolves need perimeter offense (uh, see Flynn and Corey Brewer, and then look at their bench) and excitement, Ellis gives that. #6 pick is pretty high, all considering. Replace #6 with Randolph, I still do the deal.
Trade #5: They were rumors that the Grizzlies proposed Mayo and Thabeet for Monta before the trade deadline, and the Warriors said no. Why? Not sure. But Mayo has the size and talent to be just as good as Monta on offense (maybe he’s better already) and much better on defense. Instead of Thabeet, replace him with the #4 and the Warriors give the #6. If the Grizzlies really like Monta that much, this deal should seem fine. Warriors use the #4 on Wesley Johnson, and suddenly, they’re much better defensively, and not as undersized. And damn exciting. Incidentally, I am not sure how they could propose this deal, because I couldn’t get it to work work financially. So maybe it was a lie.
Trade #6: Not so many people are high on Beasley anymore, a lot of players from that draft have vaulted over him. Quite possibly including Anthony Randolph. I think it’s just a matter of time for Beasley- his skills are there, maybe he just lacks confidence, he doesn’t know how to play with Wade, not sure. But there’s a reason why he was considered along with Rose to be the top talents in the draft. He’s a guy, if he ends up averaging 20/10, you think, that’s all? Would I trade AR + #6 for Beasley? Maybe, but that seems a bit much. It depends on if Nelson thinks he can manage him and unlock his potential. Also, get him to play better D. I would rather do Beasley + Mario Chalmers for AR + #6. Warriors could use a solid, distributing backup PG who can also defend and shoot the 3. (I couldn’t make this trade work financially, but I think it wouldn’t be too difficult)
More about the Warriors and the Draft from me to come, I can almost guarantee it.
Tags: Basketball, draft, nba, warriorsRelated posts
The Case for Keeping Curry and Ellis Together [Warriors]
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Image via Wikipedia
With Monta Ellis putting up the business in terms of statistics (26 pts on 45.7% shooting, 5.5 assists, 2.2 steals), there’s an argument over how good he really is, and if he helps the team win. See RealGM’s Context In Statistics (Monta Ellis Edition) and Kawakami’s Will the Warriors finally start splitting Ellis and Curry? for some thoughts.
Here’s what I said about both a month ago:
- Stephen Curry is legit. You can see he can play. In the Celtics game, he got destroyed by Rondo early (that’s when they were down big), and he got replaced by CJ Watson and never came back in. I think Curry will be be more aggressive on offense as the year goes by, and that’s when he’ll come into his own. He can already pass and shoot, he just needs to make a more consistent impact on the game. This will also allow Monta to cut down on turnovers as Curry becomes more assertive and runs a true point. On defense, Curry will be ok in the long haul. He can get some steals already, and he’s not lazy, he just doesn’t have the experience or outstanding quickness. On the positive, he’s not short (I think he may be taller than Monta), and he rebounds (nearly 4 a game). He is the key to this team, in the sense that Monta is a star, but Curry is the key to get this team to reach that next step and be something real.
- Monta Ellis is amazing. In a way, he might seem like a ball hog, but they need to him shoot that much. When he’s not on the floor (and that’s rare), you can see that the Warriors cannot score. It’s like the 76’ers and Allen Iverson. This is where Curry has to become more of a floor leader. If he can control the offense, the Warriors will be fine.
Since I wrote that, Curry won the NBA Rookie of the Month award for January. 
I can’t disagree with Tim Kawakami, though. I’ve noticed it myself.
What should the Warriors do?
- As good as Monta is, Curry is definitely more valuable. Monta is an undersized shooting guard, while Curry is a reasonably tall point guard (6’2) with a short wingspan. I think Curry will put together 20 pts, 7 assists, 2 steals per game on 45% FG / 40% 3PT / 90% FT, maybe as soon as next year. As a rookie, even with the indecisiveness from playing with Monta, he’s averaging 15 pts, 5 assists, 2 steals on 46% FG / 43% 3PT / 86% FT. I dare you to tell me Curry isn’t going to be insane. (Note: Monta and Curry are different as passers. Monta is a drive and dish guy, he drives, and then if he’s in trouble he may find you. Curry is a true point in the sense he is looking for you from the beginning)
- Monta is not Allen Iverson. Therefore, you can’t build a team specifically to his talents alone and hope that will create a contender.
- As far as I’ve read and heard, the Warriors like each other a lot. And don’t underestimate how important that is. See Bill Simmons discussion about “The Secret” in The Book of Basketball. The moped incident is in the past, it’s like it never happened. If Monta and Curry have personal friction between each other, okay, that’s a problem. But if it’s just figuring out how to play with each other, then that’s time. They both want to win, they both play hard, they are both improving.
- Why give up on Curry and Ellis? Like I just said, if it’s not personal, they can learn. Remember, Monta played with Baron and won the Most Improved Player award, it’s not like Monta has always been ball-dominant. Back then, Monta got a lot of mid-range jumpers from Baron’s passing. When Curry becomes the half court manager and Monta lets Curry help him, this will work. Seriously, it’s been half a year.
- If you’re going to trade Monta, alright, for who? I don’t think you should trade or give up on people. Development and maturity are a huge part of NBA players, just like you and me in life. One idea I came up with is Monta for Andre Iguodala, an athletic, exciting swingman who can defend. I even asked (ESPN Basketball Columnist) Ric Bucher. Ric said no. (Ric is really cool btw, he actually answers people on Twitter. I’ve been reading him since he worked for the San Jose Mercury News when I was growing up)
As a Warriors fan, it’s not fun seeing your favorite player getting traded and let go- Latrell, then Antawn, then J-Rich, then Baron. Monta is not making obscene money, he’s not a problem in the locker room. He’s still young and extremely talented. To trade him is just like a big F-U to to fans. What the Warriors really need, however is a perimeter defender and improving interior defense (I don’t know what’s wrong with Andris this year). Hopefully, they’ll resign Raja Bell, but letting Maggette be the 6th man (Corey is doing great this year, but with Curry and Ellis in the backcourt, they need a strong defender at SF to have a chance), getting a great defender at SF and then helping Monta and Curry play with each other would create the turnaround we need.
I would even suggest, an Anthony Randolph + lottery protected 1st rounder + expiring contracts for Iguodala. Or Biedrins + Randolph for Iguodala.
Remember, the Warriors should have a top 3 draft pick next year if they keep sucking, so there’s some flexibility in what they can do. Even if they trade Biedrins and Randolph, they’ll be able to pick up a good big guy like Derrick Favors or Ed Davis. Brandan Wright will be back too- I still believe he will show something, but I guess that’s the Warriors optimist in me.
Tags: Basketball, monta ellis, stephen curry, warriorsRelated posts
I go 2-0 with the Warriors (Bay Area Tales)
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
Since I’ve been home, I’ve gone to two Warriors games, the first versus the Suns (Friends and Family), and then their next home game versus the Celtics (Celtics without Paul Pierce). (Picture to the left is Mike, me, and Midland at the Suns game, pictures below are of me, sister, and Mike at the Celtics game).
Two great games, both Warriors victories!
This game was crazy fun, almost as good as the Warriors/Suns game I went to in 2005 where Amare went crazy on a rampage, but the Warriors prevailed with newly acquired Baron Davis.
Warriors were down big very early, Mike was his usual pessimistic self, but the Warriors climbed back in, stayed cool in the 4th, and came out with the win.
I’ve been fortunate to watch a good number of Warriors games from online downloads this year, so I had a decent feel of the team going in. The biggest issue so far was no Andris Biedrins or Ronnie Turiaf at Center for most of the year, so that was a huge issue in terms of defense, rebounding, and pick and roll options (Andris is a great finisher in the paint).
More thoughts:
- Stephen Curry is legit. You can see he can play. In the Celtics game, he got destroyed by Rondo early (that’s when they were down big), and he got replaced by CJ Watson and never came back in. I think Curry will be be more aggressive on offense as the year goes by, and that’s when he’ll come into his own. He can already pass and shoot, he just needs to make a more consistent impact on the game. This will also allow Monta to cut down on turnovers as Curry becomes more assertive and runs a true point. On defense, Curry will be ok in the long haul. He can get some steals already, and he’s not lazy, he just doesn’t have the experience or outstanding quickness. On the positive, he’s not short (I think he may be taller than Monta), and he rebounds (nearly 4 a game). He is the key to this team, in the sense that Monta is a star, but Curry is the key to get this team to reach that next step and be something real.
- Monta Ellis is amazing. In a way, he might seem like a ball hog, but they need to him shoot that much. When he’s not on the floor (and that’s rare), you can see that the Warriors cannot score. It’s like the 76’ers and Allen Iverson. This is where Curry has to become more of a floor leader. If he can control the offense, the Warriors will be fine.
- Anthony Randolph has no real offensive game. I want to see him play more though. He needs Curry (see above).
- Corey Maggette has been playing really well this year, as long as he doesn’t settle for jumpers.
- Tim Kawakami criticized Don Nelson recently, saying “The whole point of Nelson’s offense is to put at least four three-point shooters on the floor at once, to move the ball around, and hit the defense from all angles, especially from deep.” I don’t think that’s really true at all. This current Warriors team doesn’t shoot a lot of 3’s. It’s basically Morrow, Curry, and Watson. Radmanovic can shoot 3’s, but his offense is gone for whatever reason right now. Bell and Azubuike are out for the season, true, but the main reason he can’t put Randolph, Biedrins/Turiaf, Ellis, Maggette, Curry/Ellis on the floor together is because they cannot score. I mean, they really cannot score unless it’s Ellis, and he’s already playing 40+ minutes per game, and I think Nelson is trying to find ways so Ellis doesn’t need to have those 48 minute, 35 pt, 7 turnover games anymore. Again, Curry is the key. As good as Watson has been, I don’t think he’s a starter type.
- In the Warriors last game, they played well against the Lakers in LA. I think they’ll continue to get better now with both centers back. Biedrins will be huge for Curry and Monta on the pick and roll, really helping to cut down on turnovers, and both centers will be able to block a lot of shots on help defense as well as secure rebounds (finally). The Warriors will never be a great man defensive team, but their team defense, with the quickness and three excellent shot blockers in the post can be pretty good. I don’t feel like the Warriors are lazy at all, they just didn’t have the ability before, and that’s what I always hate when people say the Warriors don’t play defense.
By the way, you can find both these games online at places like http://ballers.ru/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=6 and http://bt.davka.info/. Really useful for overseas expats like myself, NBA basketball torrents and direct downloads. For Davka, check out their forum too.
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Stephen Curry is (maybe) a Warrior, and the Amare Rumors
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
Image by Sail Whitestone via Flickr
Continuing from my previous thoughts on the draft, nothing much happened except for the Rubio craziness in Minnesota. I think it would have been a great draft for them if they had picked up Curry to play with Rubio, but now everyone is waiting to see what’s going to happen.
Somehow, though, the Warriors lucked out and got Stephen Curry. I wasn’t so into him for a long time, never even watched any footage, but now, I am SOLD. I still would like Rubio- I’d trade Ellis straight up for Rubio and some garbage to make the money work out and play them both together, but I have never heard the Warriors having any interest of him. As for Monta, I’m just down on him. My feeling is he is what Hai would call a “loser”. That’s a guy who will have great stats and look fantastic on paper and on video, but doesn’t really win games. That could be because of stuff that doesn’t show up in the stats, such as poor defense, ball hogging, being a poor teammate, etc. He classified Jason Richardson as one, and I have to agree, even though I LOVE JRich. These are the guys who could have the stats of a #1 star, but you cannot win with them as your best player, they probably have to be your 3rd best player.
And that’s how I feel about Monta right now. If you look at his DraftExpress scouting report back from his high school days, it could easily apply today:
He’s a 6-3 SG with absolutely no PG skills whatsoever. That will limit his potential to contribute minutes initially unless he ends up on a horrible team. In the long term, though, he might not have the instincts or mentality to even become sufficient in this area. When he does try, his passing skills are average to below average. He forces the issue constantly, freezing out his teammates and showing absolutely no interest in getting anyone else involved. Although he is very young, his basketball IQ appears to be limited at this point, running into brick walls time after time while his teammates wave their hands and shake their heads in disgust. He does not appear to be interested in making an assist unless it’s of the Sportscenter top 10 variety. He will often bring the ball up the court and immediately jack up a shot, before even looking in the direction of his teammates. The concept of running set plays is completely foreign to him, not being capable of doing anything in a half-court offense at this point except create his own shot off the dribble or drive and dish after drawing a crowd. He looks disinterested in what’s happening around him unless the ball is in his hands, as his off the ball movement is extremely poor.
…
Although most scouts I’ve talked to about high school basketball prospects don’t really seem to care about this, his defense is horrendous. Ellis puts absolutely no effort into playing on this side of the ball, and just doesn’t seem to understand the importance of stopping his man. He gambles on steals (he can be very quick to get out in the passing lanes), gets lost on rotations, gives up on plays completely once he gets beat, gets torched on the perimeter in man to man defense and refuses to rotate or play any type of off the ball defense. He did show some glimpses of potential in the all-star games when his back was against the ball and he had to perform well to have any shot at being able to declare for the draft, but nothing when he had the choice. He’s got all the tools to be an excellent defender if he puts his mind to it, but he has to put his mind to it first.
His intangibles are also somewhat questionable. Ellis has consistently shown a poor attitude and immaturity, pouting when things don’t go his way or when the ball isn’t in his hands for more than 5 seconds. He refused to shake anyone’s hand at the end of the McDonalds game, because he was mad at his coach for not giving him more minutes at the PG spot (see links). His body language on the court looks very poor at times, while his quotes in the media make him look like an extremely cocky and arrogant young man. If he’s already so full of himself at this point, when basically no one outside of NBA draft circles and Mississippi State fans knows his name, what’s he going to be like in 5 years?
Those were his weaknesses logged in 2005. In 2009, can we say anything has changed? Monta is a super exciting player, and he’s still young, but what I wonder most about him if he will ever want to go after it defensively and if he really cares about winning in terms of the effort you don’t see shown in stats. He’s already been complaining and it’s rumored he demanded a trade at season’s end and will want a trade if he’s not the starting PG. Maybe they can get him to relax and quiet down, but how long will that last?
But back to Curry and more optimism. The highlights below are fantastic. The main thing about what I see from him is that even though you hear complaints about his size and athleticism, he attacks relentlessly, even for dunks in traffic, driving, shooting. Some people don’t feel he’s a true point, but for the opinions I respect (DraftExpress, Bill Simmons, Dick Vitale, Don Nelson), they all believe he is a true point, so I believe as well.
And then we have the Amare the Warriors trade rumor.
Amare for :
- Andris Biedrins
- Brandan Wright
- Marco Belinelli
- (maybe Stephen Curry)
- (maybe Kelenna Azuibuike)
Two things that seem to be holding up the trade: 1) including Curry 2) signing Amare long term.
For me, 2), not as important. Sure, he can bail after one year, but I have my doubts about Amare (he may not be that much different from Monta), and if he bails, well at least you have a ton of money free for the cap. I like Andris, but the Warriors would suck with or without him, so I don’t mind taking the big risk and blowing things up.
1) Here, I’m not flexible. Don’t give up Curry. Giving up Kelenna is fine. I would even throw in a future lottery protected #1 if Amare signs long term. If the Suns refuse, The Warriors need to find a way to deal with their glut in guards, but that comes later.
Here’s what the Warriors would look like ideally if this trade went through:
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Stephen Jackson
PF: Anthony Randolph
C: Amare Stoudemire
Bench: Maggette, Turiaf, Morrow, Watson
Maybe Turiaf starts at C to protect Amare and play D, while Randolph comes off the bench and plays extensive minutes. Either way, Turiaf would get a chance to play 30 minutes a game. Without Andris, a weak rebounding teams becomes weaker, unless Amare suddenly decides to become Barkley, but Randolph showed some energy late last year and potential as a double digit rebound guy. You really only have two defenders on the whole team in Jackson and Turiaf, but hopefully Curry will at least work hard, Randolph will continue to show the effort in rebounding and defending he did last year, and the team overall can hustle and create havoc in the passing lanes, and block a lot of shots (Amare, Randolph, and Turiaf could each potentially block close to 2 a game). Jackson is good in a point forward role to help Curry, and hopefully, Ellis would improve his ball handling skills in terms of passing and creating for others. Maggette off the bench is fantastic; I have no doubt he could be a 6th man of the year. Morrow is a dead eye shooter who can out up 10 points efficiently in 15 minutes, and Watson is a legit backup PG. What they realistically would need is another defender, a versatile perimeter one like free agent Shawn Marion. Unfortunately, Marion hates Amare, and the Warriors don’t have money, so that’s a no, but basically looking for a guy who doesn’t need the ball, can play D, finish or shoot open 3’s, and rebound.
And, I just noticed that Turiaf had a 2.3:1 Assist to Turnover ratio last year. He’s a Center!
To celebrate the Amare potential, here’s this classic matchup between Adonal Foyle and Amare a few years ago, in a game I actually went to.
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NBA Draft Time! (Time for Warriors FAIL)
Friday, June 26th, 2009It’s draft time!
(Yes, I scheduled this post to go up right before the draft)
I can accept the Warriors won’t find a way to get my new mancrush Ricky Rubio, so the only other person who I’m interested in is Terrence Williams. He’s athletic, can really pass (5 assists per game in college, most PGs can’t even do that), and can defend. He could be the next Iguodala (very similar skill set coming out of college) or maybe even Sprewell (people may say I’m crazy, but Sprewell was rated low in college) He can’t shoot or really score, but I think he can develop that, and when you’re on a Don Nelson team, if you can run, dunk, defend, and pass, you’ll be fine. The Warriors could use more passing and defense anyway even if its considered a reach to get him at #7. He played 4 years at a big basketball program (Louisville), so I think he can step in and contribute immediately.
And yeah, can he dunk……
In the last few drafts, here’s whom I wanted for the Warriors
- 2008: Kevin Love. Good!
- 2007: Don’t remember. Probably Yi or Corey Brewer. Oops.
- 2006: LaMarcus Aldridge and then Rudy Gay when I saw him slipping. Grizzlies got him so the Warriors ended up with Patrick O’Bryant. Enough said. 2006 was seriously a weak draft.
What the Warriors need to do this offseason:
- Trade Jamal Crawford or Corey Maggette. Either would be pretty good as an offense only 6th man. Unfortunately, the Warriors have both, and they both make a ton of $. No way Crawford opts out.
- Keep Brandan Wright. They can’t get good trade value out of him anyway, so might as well give him some more opportunities. He’s not like O’Bryant who was lazy and never could play, Wright’s been injured, but has shown promise.
- Warriors just need to get rid of swingmen. They have plenty of good ones, and they’re probably going to draft another one anyway. So try to burn through Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli if you have to, even if I do like both of them. There’s just only so much playing time to be had. I would guess Kelenna has the most value of the Warriors guards, considering talent, potential, and current salary. Morrow is worth holding on to over Kelenna to see how far he can improve.
- Here’s the list of shooting guards (including non-true points) and small forwards they have that are pretty decent and could probably play 20 minutes a game on a good team: Azubuike, Maggette, Crawford, Stephen Jackson, Anthony Morrow, Monta Ellis, Marco Belinelli and (maybe he’s a stretch at the moment). That’s 7 guys! You basically add two more guys, and that’s a normal NBA rotation. But out of all them, only Jackson defends, and none really can run the team. They need to find a way get rid of at least 2 of these guys (or maybe 3 if they draft another one)
Predictions! This is all just for fun, like I know anything.
- The Warriors will disappoint me, and do none of the above
- Blake Griffin will not be the best player to have come out of this draft
- There will be no crazy draft deals, though I want there to be. Shake it up! [Edit: I wrote this before the Jefferson and Miller/Foye deals. I guess I was wrong, those were some decent deals]
- At least 3 of the highly touted lottery PGs (Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, JRue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans) will suck (never be starters on a decent team- Sebastian Telfair is an example) or not play that position (that only applies for Tyreke really).
- When I think of Stephen Curry, I think of BJ Armstrong. That’s based on nothing other that ill informed perceptions though. DraftExpress really likes him, so I’d be willing to believe in him as a Warrior
- Ty Lawson, the 7th of the 6 lottery PGs, will be a better player than at least two of the PGs who go in front of him
- Updated busts, these are the lottery guys who I guarantee (again, means nothing, but I say it like it does) will be full time starters in the NBA fo r a decent team:
- Jordan Hill - people think he should go to the Warriors. I don’t know if he’s any good, but I do know he’s an athletic rebounding power forward who can’t shoot, pass, rely on a good low post game, or play good defense. Yeah, he maybe has a better body than Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright, but is he really any more talented?
- Hasheem Thabeet – Hasheem will almost have to be a starter by default because he’s 7’3 and a Center, but will not live up to his top 3 draft ranking
- DeMar DeRozan – people should stop using the Vince comparison.
- Gerald Henderson – went to Duke. I’m just saying…..
- 3 of the PGs above
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