Tag Archives: Golden State Warriors

by | March 14, 2012 · 11:55 AM

Warriors trade Ellis to Bucks for Bogut

Trading places

With the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, teams are weighing their options as rumors, per usual, swirl endlessly. Almost every rumor out there is centered on whether Dwight Howard will remain in Orlando beyond the deadline, which he has stated is his wish, or if he will be traded now so that the Magic can get something in return for their franchise player before he bolts in free agency this summer. Of course, Howard is not the only player that is on the trade block, Atlanta’s Josh Smith has requested to be traded, Carmelo Anthony‘s future in New York is blurred since his return to health and the recent skid the Knicks have been on. The likelihood of the Knicks moving Anthony is highly unlikely after what they gave up to acquire him, though. Paul Gasol is also a name that is currently in everyone’s mouth. Those are just some of the more well known players that have rampant speculation surrounding their every move. At this point, the only official trade that has occurred is between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State has been looking to make a trade since last summer when Joe Lacob and his associates took over and had been in the thick of the speculation surrounding Howard. Now, however, they have traded Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown to the Bucks in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. This move effectively removes Golden State from the race for Howard while also giving the team the a quality player in a position it has coveted.

Bogut, though, has been out for much of the season with a fractured left ankle and could potentially miss the remainder of the season as the initial timetable for his return was eight to ten weeks. He sustained the injury on January 25.

His career has been marred with injuries so his acquisition is therefore a risky one. However, Bogut’s presence in the middle, even if it is limited should be a great help to a team that has lacked interior scoring and defense for quite some time.

Any deal that Milwaukee was involved in was going to include Jackson. He fell out of favor with head coach Scott Skiles and was relegated to a bench role which the team reported was to let him recover from a hamstring injury. Statistically, this has been Jackson’s worst season since his sophomore effort. Combine that with his temperament and it is easy to understand why the Bucks were adamant about moving him.

Ellis playing in Milwaukee presents an interesting, if not all too unfamiliar, situation to the one in which played in with the Warriors. With Golden State, Ellis was paired in the backcourt with Stephen Curry. In Milwaukee he will be paired with Brandon Jennings. Ellis and Jennings are actually very similar players. Both have good ball handling skills which allows them to break down defenses but are more prone to take low percentage shots and shoot the ball inefficiently. At present, it is uncertain how they with mesh together on the floor. Ellis is the better pure scorer of the two and should help the sometimes anemic offense that befalls the Bucks but his average could dip.

Acquiring Ellis also begets the question: Are the Bucks planning to trade Jennings? What is the point of starting two similar players in the backcourt? There have been no rumors as yet to Jennings’ future with the team but a trade has to be an option that is now on the table.

As for the other two pieces, Udoh and Brown, it is Udoh with the most upside, and conversely, the most room to fail. Where Udoh fits into Milwaukee’s system will be important to his development. He will likely alternate between the center and power forward slots (those terms seem dated at this point) spelling Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova, and sitting just above Jon Leuer in the rotation. This should effectively give him the minutes he needs but be most be productive. In his six starts with Golden State this season, Udoh has been just that averaging 12 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two blocks. He will not be getting starting minutes in Milwaukee but the sings of promise are there.

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by | December 26, 2011 · 5:24 PM

NBA Christmas Wrap

Merry Christmas

With much fanfare and an obnoxious LMFAO ad that was played almost every commercial intermission, the NBA season kicked off in superb, albeit rusty, fashion. Yes, lockout legs could be seen throughout the five games that were aired but that is to be expected with abbreviated training camps. chemistry was also an issue as many teams have a number of new players to integrate into their rotations. Nonetheless, the NBA is back and fans and players are happy. A reaction:

Boston Celtics 104 – New York Knicks 106

Carmelo Anthony looked great in this game. His 17 points in the fourth quarter were the difference and why the Knicks thought it necessary to gut their team to acquire him. Throughout his time in the NBA, Anthony has proven he has a knack for performing in the clutch and he showed it on Sunday. However, the already shaky depth of the Knicks has grown even more unstable with a knee injury to rookie Iman Shumpert which will sideline him for at least a couple of weeks.

As for the Celtics, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass, who is finally free from the tyranny of Stan Van Gundy, were the offense with Paul Pierce missing the game. Rondo continually broke down New York’s defense and got to the rim. When Pierce comes back to the lineup the Celtics should be a more rounded offensive unit, until then this will be Rondo’s team.

Naughty: Kevin Garnett choking Bill Walker.

Nice: Carmelo Anthony’s clutch play.

Miami Heat 105 – Dallas Mavericks 94

The Mavericks raised their championship banner but that is all they had to celebrate on Sunday. Dallas came out looking flat and out of sync, in essence, they looked old. That should be no surprise because their entire core is over the age of 30. Rick Carlisle is integrating Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Delonte West, who played well, and Brandan Wright into the rotation while dealing with key losses across the board. Jason Terry was the only Maverick who showed up to this one.

Miami looked like they were just rolled off of a German assembly line. They were well oiled and fine tuned. What they did to the Mavericks was scary. Say what you will about all the exhibition games this summer but they seem to have kept LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in game shape, that and their complete desire to destroy everything in their path. This was a blowout, like a brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class versus a Trabant. Not only were the Heat good but they will get better. Rookie Norris Cole turned some heads with his play in 24 minutes of action. If he continues to improve he could supplant Mario Chalmers as the starting point guard.

Naughty: The Mavs’ 37.8 percent field goal shooting.

Nice: LeBron James‘ box score: 37 points, 10 rebounds, six assists.

Chicago Bulls 88 – Los Angeles Lakers 87

Forget Showtime, these are the Slowtime Lakers. That is not a knock on them, however, not in the least bit. This Lakers squad proved to be as scrappy and gritty as any I have seen. Perhaps this is what Mike Brown brings to the team, perhaps this is what a bunch of blue-collar white guys bring to a team, or perhaps this is just what happens when you lose Odom and Andrew Bynum serving his suspension. Nonetheless, I like the Slowtime Lakers. Where they do need to improve is offensive player rotation. Too many times they reverted to Hawks-esque isolation with three players around the perimeter and one near the post.

Chicago played well throughout, with the exception being the third quarter. With the game close, Luol Deng stepped up and made the big plays. It was his defense against Kobe Bryant and his steal late in the game that allowed the Bulls to go on a 7-0 run, capped by Derrick Rose‘s floater in the lane, to win the game. Rip Hamilton started for the Bulls but did not contribute much due to foul trouble therefore his time was split with Ronnie Brewer. Brewer is a solid defender with good court vision and should see more minutes this season.

Naughty: Kobe’s last shot attempt.

Nice: Rose’s floater to win the game.

Orlando Magic 89 – Oklahoma City Thunder 97

Much like the Heat Mavericks game, the final score does not do justice to the thrashing that actually occurred. Like Miami, the Thunder look ready for the season. Very ready.  Oklahoma City pounced on Orlando early and never relented. Their team is largely the same as it was last year so their learning curve is near zero when it comes to knowing each other and how to execute plays…when they are not freewheeling. Speed and athleticism are the monikers of this team and they will serve them well out of the gate. If only they could improve their shot selections *cough* Westbrook *cough*.

Where the Thunder took plenty of questionable shots when they had built their sizable lead, the Magic took even more haphazard shots throughout the entire game. I have said it many times: the Magic’s offense is terrible. There is nothing more that can be said. It looked like they thought that there was a pit of lava inside the three-point line. Get Dwight Howard the ball in the post and let him work.

Naughty: Hedo Turkoglu clearly indulged his gluttonous side during the lockout. Dude is chunky.

Nice: Kevin Durant. Need I say more?

Los Angeles Clippers 105 – Golden State Warriors 86

If ESPN had their way, this would have been a documentary about Mark Jackson and the greatness of his coaching style. Nevermind the fact Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were on the court, this broadcast was about Mark Jackson, hands down (man down). They showed a clip of him quoting Shakespeare before the game. He was the only coach shown in the huddle, mostly saying cliché motivational shit like “execution” and “focus.” That is all fine and good, but he does have a decent team that the broadcast could have talked about. I think Jackson will be a good coach but that much attention is unwarranted, especially on a nationally televised game. His first coaching milestone was the hack-a-Jordan technique he used on DeAndre Jordan.

The final score is not indicative of how the Warriors remained close for much of the game. Clearly, the Wizards of Lob are the better team but last night they showed chinks in their armor. The aforementioned hack-a-Jordan technique stymied the Clippers offense and brought it to a halt. Luckily, the Clippers have Paul, Chauncey Billups, and Griffin. All played well as they were able to outlast the Warrior. The new look Clippers are a work in progress to say the least and last night they showed it.

Naughty: ESPN’s love affair with Mark “Momma, there goes that man” Jackson.

Nice: Caron Butler‘s circus shot.

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by | June 6, 2011 · 4:12 PM

A New Round of Coaches

The old-guard of NBA coaches is shifting.  And fast.

Much has been made of the Spurs’ first-round collapse, as well as the second-round failures of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, as a sign that the post-Jordan era has come to a close.  But this season will be the first since the

You can take it, I'm leaving. With the beer.

1987-88 season to end without Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, or Larry Brown as head coaches.  Brown and Sloan were hired in 1988′s offseason, and Jackson came to the Bulls the summer after.  Another longtime great left this season, when Rick Adelman left the Rockets after what can only be labeled a an awful break, dealing with the team’s difficulties with injuries over the past few years.

In addition, this season has also been the first without Don Nelson in 35 years, and since his firing, the front office for the Golden State Warriors have begun to eradicate all traces of Nellie Ball.

Trade this? FOR A 32-50 SEASON? I THINK NOT.

While Jackson’s surely done (at least for a while), I don’t think it would take much to get Brown or Nelson out of hiding, and I believe the right team could lure Sloan into reaching for a championship.  And if they’ve been called about vacant positions, it seems as though they aren’t biting.  Instead, the ranks of the Assistant coaching staffs are being plundered; Mavs assistant Dwane Casey is a desirable coach, and he’s high on the list for all the teams with coaching vacancies.  Before hiring Kevin McHale, the Rockets were considering him, and he’s a premier option for the Warriors, Detroit Pistons, and the  Toronto Raptors. Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer is another possibility for the Warriors, as is ABC analyst Mark Jackson (lacking coaching experience) and Lakers assistant Brian Shaw (after being shunned by his organization following Phil’s retirement).  There’s even been word of the Pistons bringing back Bad Boy hero Bill Laimbeer, now an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who, as head coach, led the Detroit Shock to three WNBA titles from 2003-2008.

After Tom Thibodeau led the Chicago Bulls to the Eastern conference Finals this year, expect many more assistants and TV analysts to wind up in the head coaching ranks next season (if there is one).

Let’s all hope they’re better than this was.

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by | April 28, 2011 · 10:33 PM

Golden Days Are Here Again

Are Joseph Lacob and Peter Guber ready to fix an ailing franchise?

Keith Smart may be out of a job and the Warriors may be shopping for a new coach but the situation out in Oakland is far from solved.

As you may know by now, Smart was fired after only one season coaching the Warriors.  New ownership brought him in during training camp after deciding to part ways with Don Nelson.

On July 15 of last year, franchise owner Chris Cohan sold the Warriors to Peter Guber and Joe Lacob for a record $450 million. The duo would not take complete control of the team until November. However, the two got busy really quickly by making the trade for David Lee and signed him to his six-year, $80 million contract with the then owners’ blessing of course.

Additionally, they fired Nelson and hired on Smart, a seven-year member of the staff, as his replacement with a one-year contract with a second year option.

Seems like a lot of work done by two men that hadn’t even taken complete control.  Yet, during an interview with Sports Illustrated on the day they bought the team, Guber was asked what his plan was as far as improving the team.  His answer:

“I wouldn’t be able to answer that even if I knew the answer,” Guber told SI.com. “We haven’t done the analysis. I honestly, truthfully don’t know the answer. That is the process of examination. There are a lot of forces at work. The collective bargaining agreement is looming. The issues of free agency and trades and all kind of things are going on. We have to transition and we don’t know how long this process will unfold.”

Sort of an odd answer from a guy that just worked a deal for Lee and Dorell Wright.  Not to mention the risky signing of Harvard standout Jeremy Lin and all before the sale was even finalized on November 13, 2010.

However, in the same SI interview, Guber stated that he is an impatient man and it’s pretty apparent now.  This season, the Warriors were 36-46, a 10-game improvement from last season.  Smart kept Golden State in the playoff hunt until a six-game losing streak in March knocked them out of contention.  They ended the season strong with a three-game streak with wins over Dallas, Portland and LA but even that wasn’t enough to convince them to retain Smart.

To some it may seem like a surprise that the team has decided to part ways with Keith but again, ownership declared that he was a transitional coach.  The mentality of this is odd considering that transitional period took up an entire year but the cards are still in the Warriors’ hands.  The only starter up for free agency is Reggie Williams and the only decent bench player up for it is Al Thornton who had the worst scoring season of his career.

Additionally, with the trades that sent both Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony to the Eastern Conference, right now is probably the best time to rebuild in the West.  Utah, Phoenix and Houston all missed the playoffs and are in their respective transitional periods as well.  Last season, Oklahoma City was the eight seed with 50 wins.  This year, Memphis made the playoffs with 46.

The new ownership is a breath a fresh air for the Warriors who dwelled in the mediocre shadows of the NBA for 15 years with Cohan.  They made the playoffs only three times under him.  Sports Illustrated rated him as the fourth worst owner right behind Michael Heisley (Memphis), Cablevision/James Dolan (New York) and Donald Sterling (LA Clippers).  It’s a rating he deserved too for keeping around Don Nelson who he even sued years ago for jumping ship for New York.

Chris Cohan, an absent owner.

The Warriors only had a handful of winning seasons under Cohan as he made bad decision after bad decision.  The 1996 draft featured players such as Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Walker, Peja Stojakovic, and Marcus Camby. Cohan selected Todd Fuller.

Last season, they sent Stephen Jackson packing for an injured Raja Bell.  Before that, they traded Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling for Bimbo Coles and Kevin Willis.

Do we really need to get into the Latrell Sprewell incident?

Off the court, Cohan hasn’t made the best decisions either.  In 2007, the IRS accused him of tax evasion.  He was sent a letter of Deficiency by the Department of Treasury stating that he and his wife, Angela, owed $95 million in taxes and $66 million in penalties.  He was accused of purchasing several tax shelters that are tied to a New York-based organized crime investigation.  While he wasn’t part of the criminal investigation, Cohan had his hands and money tied to some shady business practices.

Now, the new ownership is determined to move on from Cohan’s mistakes and they aren’t wasting anytime.  Smart was only a temporary solution but now that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber are going into their first, full offseason with the team, they will be able to make a more methodical decision as to who they wish to hire as their head coach.   In an ESPN report, even Lacob admitted they moved very quickly:

“At some level, and certainly I know some people will say this — that [Smart] deserved another year, that he didn’t have a full roster, and there’s some truth to that,” Lacob said. “But we felt that we could be better. I think to some extent ownership wanted more so to have their guy in.”

They knew it was time to move on completely and have even stated that the new coach will retool the entire staff if he wishes.

Several names have started to swirl around from Jerry Sloan to Jeff Van Gundy. Other names include former Cleveland Cavs coach Mike Brown and Lawrence Frank who is Doc Rivers’ assistant in Boston where Lacob previously held a small stake in the team.

While it is still unknown who the job will go to, one thing is for sure, he will have to be a player’s coach.  Ownership was impressed with how Smart related to the players and promised to place his own stamp on the team.  He even shook every player’s hand in the locker room on day one and made this promise.

However, he juggled Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry poorly and even benched the rookie Curry late in a few games.  His hardline approach strained their relationship but he still had the support of the team.

Larry Riley (left) and Bob Myers (right) have a long offseason ahead.

Bringing in Bob Myers as the new assistant manager is a step in the right direction for fixing this team.  Myers is a former agent who represented Kendrick Perkins, Brook Lopez, Antawn Jamison, Brandon Roy, Tyreke Evans and current Warrior Dorell Wright.  When he took the job earlier this month, he forfeited his position under Arn Tellem, one of the most powerful sports agents in the game and assumed a position that puts him right under current GM Larry Riley.  However, Myers is expected to replace the 66-year-old Riley who was brought in back in 2009 to replace Chris Mullin.

Ownership believes that bringing in Myers will give them the edge since he knows the ins and outs of player management from his time as an agent.  He is also a former player that won the NCAA Title in 1995 with the UCLA Bruins and even grew up in the Bay Area.

It was a risky decision to bring over someone without any experience as a GM especially when the likes of Steve Kerr and Kevin Pritchard are possibly looking to return to front office positions.

The Warriors have stated that they are not shopping Ellis or Curry unless the offer was too good to resist.  However, they are very unhappy with starting center Andris Biendrins and state that he has to work for his position back with the team.  They have stated that they would be willing to move Lee over to the five position or simply give it to Ekpe Udoh.  They will also have the option to see who is available in free agency.

Myers will be given a large amount of power to retool both the team and offices. The Warriors’ director of player personnel, Travis Schlenk, and director of basketball operations, Kirk Lacob, the owner’s son, are the only other two names that are guaranteed jobs.  Those four, along with the owners, have the daunting task of putting the right people in place to get Golden State back in contention.

When Don Nelson left the Warriors, it meant that his style of fast-paced ball was on its way out as well; however, the team is still moving quickly but in a different way.  New owners are scrambling to fix a broken franchise that has been run into the ground by mismanagement and a revolving door of talent.  With the right people in place, glory will return to the Bay Area.

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by | April 27, 2011 · 12:14 PM

Bay Area goes dumb, Warriors dismiss Keith Smart

That smarts

It seemed smart to hire Keith Smart at the start of the season after the Golden State Warriors parted ways with Don Nelson. Smart was, after all, an assistant coach with the team for the previous seven years. Now, after being the head coach for just one season, he is out of the job.

Smart led the Warriors to a record of 36-46 during the 2010-11 season. That mark was a ten game improvement over the previous season, but now the team is moving forward (hopefully, that is the direction they are moving) without him. All of this is part of owner Joe Lacob’s plan to move the team away from any semblance of Nellie Ball.

Lacob had this to say in the team’s official press release:

“It’s never easy to make difficult decisions, especially when it involves someone that we have a great deal of respect for like Keith Smart,” said Warriors Owner Joe Lacob. “After meeting extensively with Larry Riley and Bob Myers, we came to the conclusion that a change was necessary at this particular time. I think Keith did an admirable job this season and he should be commended for many of the positive things that transpired both on and off the floor. The team showed improvement and their effort was never in question. However, we’ve elected to pursue a new path and we wish Keith the very best. He’s a quality person and we thank him for the time he invested with our organization.”

As Matt Steinmtz of CSN Bay Area points out, Smart was transitioned to the role of head coach before Lacob took full control of the team and Smart’s contract was not fully guaranteed for next season. Clearly, Smart’s position with the team was tenuous at best.

Now the Warriors join the growing list of teams on the hunt for a new head coach. Hopefully, their search will be slightly more tasteful than the circus act the Houston Rockets are putting on.

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by | March 1, 2011 · 12:06 PM

Beef Stew: After the Trade Deadline

So beefy

After a flurry of moves that came down just prior to the trade deadline all the way up to the 3 P.M. Eastern Time cutoff, the NBA has seen quite a dramatic shift. Now that it is over teams are still jockeying to shore up their assets and acquire role players for a deep playoff push. Of course every team wants to enter the playoffs healthy, but that may be easier said than done. On to the Stew!

Money, money, money

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed newly acquired big man, Kendrick Perkins, to an extension. It is a four-year deal that will net him $34.8 million. As an added incentive, the deal also includes bonus clauses that can increase Perkins’ pay. Furthermore, the Thunder have increased his 2010-11 salary from $2.3 million to $6.7 million and based the extension off the new salary. Perkins had been hesitant to sign an extension with the Celtics this season which factored into the team trading him. It looks as though the Thunder’s General Manager, Sam Presti, is playing for keeps.

In the epic saga that is Troy Murphy’s life, he now faces his greatest decision ever: what team does he want to chase a ring on? After being bought out of his present contract by the Golden State Warriors (he was traded to them at the deadline for Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric) it looked as though Murphy was well on his way to Beantown. That is until the most shrewd operator in the business came calling. Gordon Gekko, er…Pat Riley and the Miami Heat have shown interest in Murphy. Decisions, decisions. Miami would have to free up roster space to add the power forward, however, it would seem that there are plenty of players on their roster who are expendable outside of their marquee three. The only thing for Murphy to do now is to sit back, wait, and quote Cuba Gooding Jr. BREAKING: As this piece was being written, Marc Stein of ESPN reported that Murphy has chosen to play in Boston. The terms of any deal between the two parties are not yet known. I hope ABC was filming this, there was certainly potential for a bad reality show in there. Throw in some roses and you have a hit.

Everyone knew that the Washington Wizards really did not want to take Mike Bibby. He is old and that team is young. He likes to mall walk and they like to sleep in. It just was not going to work. Therefore, the Wizards did everyone a favor and bought out the remainder of Bibby’s $6.2 million salary for the season. Bibby had chosen to waive the final year of his present contract so that he would be able to be bought out. He is set to clear waivers on Wednesday. Once that occurs, it is widely believed that he will become a ring chaser on the Heat. Now, that Murphy has decided on Boston, Miami’s push for the veteran point guard will likely be stronger than ever as they do not have the best point guards in the league. Bibby is by no means the player he once was with the Sacramento Kings, however, he would be a positive offensive upgrade over both Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo. UPDATE: reports are saying that Arroyo has been cut to make room for Bibby.

After the New York Knicks swung their deal for Carmelo Anthony, they also acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves Corey Brewer. However, Brewer has not seen a single minute of playing time with his new team as Mike D’Antoni prefers to play Renaldo Balkman instead and the team deactivated Brewer. Now, the Knicks are in the process of buying him out. In the hunt for him now, according to various reports, are the Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks. He is expected to meet with several coaches from interested teams on Tuesday including mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle.

Pain, pain, pain

Somehow, the Spurs have managed to stay healthy all season. Did they make a deal similar to Robert Johnson’s? Was it pure luck? Is it still the revenge of the small market? Whatever it was, it came to an end. Tony Parker is likely to miss two to four weeks with a sore calf muscle. In the long run this injury will not hamper the Spurs’ playoff quest. They already have 49 wins this season. However, they may seed some ground to the Mavericks, who are looking at catching the Spurs for the number one overall seed in the Western Conference.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are not going to make the playoffs. They would not even get an invitation to the NIT this year. They are awful. Yet, somehow they know how to beat the Los Angeles Lakers and the Knicks. They have beaten the Knicks twice. Ouch. However, the team may have just suffered its biggest loss of the season. Antawn Jamison will likely miss the rest of the season with a broken finger. The Cavaliers just cannot catch a break. Cleveland was actively engaged in trying to move Jamison to Golden State at the trade deadline but the two sides could not reach an agreement. After that news sunk in, Jamison’s left pinky decides to ruin the rest of the season. Poor guy.

Fresh off his recent arrival to the Denver Nuggets, Danilo Gallinari has fractured his left big toe in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. According to the team, the injury will keep him sidelined for a week to ten days.

In the same game that Gallinari was injured, Josh Smith left midway through the game with a stiff knee. Smith will be re-evaluated once the team returns to Atlanta.

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by | February 23, 2011 · 10:40 AM

Deron Williams traded to New Jersey Nets

Newark, here I come

In what can be considered a stunning trade, the Utah Jazz have agreed to send All Star point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! broke the story this morning via his Twitter account. This trade was kept very quite by both sides until the deal was announced today.

In exchange the Nets will send the Jazz both Devin Harris and Derrick Favors as well as two of the first round picks that New Jersey has been stockpiling recently. The Nets will also send $3 million to the Jazz in the deal.

The Golden State Warriors also found themselves among teams trading with the Nets today. They will receive Troy Murphy from the Nets while trading Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright to New Jersey. It has been widely speculated that if Murphy was traded to the Warriors they would buy out his contract allowing him to become a free agent. He would then likely move on to a title contender.

The Golden State deal is completely separate from the Utah one. However, that was not made entirely clear when the news was first released.

It seems that there was a legitimate rift in Utah between their star player and the organization. Jerry Sloan’s departure can now be squarely placed on his frustration with Williams.

The biggest loser in the whole Jazz Nets trade is Jordan Farmar. With all the speculation on where Harris would be traded (i.e. Dallas or Portland) he was set to finally take the reins of an NBA team, which is what he has always wanted. Now he will be forced to continue his backup role. Poor guy.

A big round of applause for Mikhail Prokhorov this morning. After losing the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes he turns around and gives up less for a younger star player. Well done, sir. Maybe this Russian is crafty like Vladimir Putin after all.

If Williams did not get along with Sloan and his coaching style, he is sure in for a treat with Avery Johnson. They do not call him the “Little General” for nothing.

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by | January 25, 2011 · 11:13 PM

Rookie Update

All the way back on October 18, 2010, we produced a list of eleven rookies who we though worthy of keeping an eye on this season. A few of them were no-brainer picks. Now that half the season is over it would be a good time to take a glance at how they are doing for their respective franchises.

DeMarcus Cousins – Sacramento Kings

Cousins was making an early, self promoted, push for Rookie of the Year. However, his season has been plagued with inconsistency spending time both as a starter and as a reserve. Recently, he has been playing better. He needs to become a better rebounder though. Cousins has only recorded double figure rebounds in nine of the games he has played in and only has seven double doubles. Considering the company he keeps on this list he needs to improve if he even wants an outside chance for ROY. Averages of 13 points and five rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent are not going to cut it when he is listed at 6’11” and 270 pounds. It would also behoove him to stay out of foul trouble.

Derrick Favors – New Jersey Nets

Favors has found himself in and out of favor with Avery Johnson. Who could have guessed that Johnson would treat a rookie in such a manner? On top of that, he was one of the key features of the now defunct trade attempt for Carmelo Anthony. That has to have done wonders for his confidence. Favors has found himself back in favor of late and has started the Nets’ previous 11 games. During this time his scoring average has been a tidy 7.4 points which is an improvement over his season average of 6.6 points per game. However, Favors was held scoreless in two of the contests in which he started. That does not bode well for Johnson’s blood pressure. The Only player who has spent more time in Johnson’s doghouse this season than Favors is Troy Murphy.

Blake Griffin – Los Angeles Clippers

If you have seen any basketball dunk highlights this season then you have seen the power that Griffin wields. Then there is this number: 27. That is the number of consecutive double-doubles he had this season. Only Kevin Love had more this season (he is currently at 30). Griffin is averaging 22.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per contest while also dishing out 3.5 assists.  To top that he gets 20.1 percent of the total rebounds available while he is on the court. He is a shoe in for Rookie of the Year. No question.

Timofey Mozgov – New York Knicks

Mozgov is a complete nonfactor in Mike D’Antoni’s rotation. He began the year in the starting lineup but has since found himself relegated to the bench with limited minutes. Maybe he should reach out to fellow countryman Mikhail Prokhorov and ask for asylum on the Nets. Mozgov’s most notable moment of the season was having Blake Griffin scale him for a monstrous slam.

Jeremy Lin – Golden State Warriors/Reno Bighorns

Lin has spent some time in the D-League this season as the Warriors try to figure out what kind of a team they have outside of Monta Ellis. He has had two stints with the Reno Bighorns. Lin has played well in the D-League where he has averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Here’s hoping that the Warriors’ hometown favorite can return to the NBA and stay there.

Larry Sanders – Milwaukee Bucks

Sanders can best be described as an offensively limited block machine. He is tied for second overall in blocks per 40 minutes with 3.8. Considering that he only plays an average of 14.5 minutes per game and has only appeared in 30 games that is a rather impressive statistic. He recorded eight blocks against Denver on December 1, 2010 in 33:30 minutes of playing time. Clearly, Sanders, is poised to grow into a defensive presence at the power forward. His defensive rating for the season is a 98. However, for a big man he needs to improve his post game and become more efficient around the rim.

Tiago Splitter – San Antonio Spurs

Much like Mozgov, Splitter is not a rookie in the traditional sense because he has overseas experience. In fact, Splitter had a rather successful career in the Euroleague. With the Spurs? Well, not so much. He has only appeared in 34 games for San Antonio this season and has just not found a way to work himself into Greg Popovich’s rotation and is seeing an average of just 11.4 minutes of action in the games he plays in. What is holding him back is that when he does play significant minutes in a game his production is far from consistent as he has only scored in double figures five times this season and has not recorded a double-double. He did come close once on December 22, 2010 when he had 12 points and nine rebounds but close does not cut it. It is very likely that Splitters role with the team will not change any time in the near future as San Antonio continues to breeze through the league on a pace to win 69 games.

Evan Turner – Philadelphia 76ers

Turner was drafted second overall in last summer’s draft. As of right now, that is the highlight of his short career. He was supposed to help turn around a struggling 76ers organization and has been nothing but below mediocre. When a player is drafted second overall it is expected that they are going to make an immediate impact and be in the starting lineup. Turner has only started in 12 games and only surpassed the 20 point plateau once this season. His averages for the season are 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Yuck. That is like Derrick Favors on a good day. What this goes to show is that no player, no matter how good they were in college, is a lock to be a solid NBA player (or maybe players from Ohio State just suck at in the pros). But, hey, he is a rookie and has his career ahead of him. Maybe he will turn in around. Until then the focus of the 76ers will be the development of Jrue Holiday.

Ekpe Udoh – Golden State Warriors

Much of the first half of the season was marred by injury for Udoh. Now that he is healthy he is proving that even when he does get minutes he produces little if anything. He played almost 23 minutes against the Kings on December 21, 2010 and did not even take a shot! Not even a free throw. Enough said, moving on…

Greivis Vasquez – Memphis Grizzlies

My counterpart at the Beef had high hopes for Vasquez when the Grizzlies drafted him. Now, with half an NBA season under his belt, all expectations should be tempered. He has scored ten points just once this season and has never scored more than that and has never recorded more than seven assists. Seven assists is not a bad number but he has only recorded more than five assists five times in 39 games. Memphis is overloaded at the swing position so it is going to be a while before Vasquez finds his niche.

John Wall – Washington Wizards

The biggest concern for Wall during the first half of the season was his turnovers. (His health was also a major concern.) They were out of control and that is not a good thing, to say the least, for a point guard, especially a young one. He has not completely managed to keep them in check but has done a far better job of holding onto the ball while increasing his assists. For the season, Wall is averaging 9.2 assists. In the month of January, he has averaged 10.6 assists per game with only 4.3 turnovers during that same stretch. For the season is Wall is averaging 15.2 points but only shooting 40 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from long range. He needs to improve his shooting percentage. But, using Derrick Rose as a model, this will likely happen. If Wall can lead the Wizards to a road victory this season he should consider it a consolation prize to not winning the NBA Finals.

Clearly, rookies cannot be judged on an equal basis. Systems and coaches dictate a lot in the development of young players.  Each of the players above has a whole career ahead of them. Who is to say that any of the players who are not named Blake Griffin or John Wall on this list will not become an NBA All Star one day? It is not like all of them are going to turn out to be Hasheem Thabeet.

There is a player that must be added to this list who was not under consideration when it was originally written…

Landry Fields – New York Knickerbockers.

He has simply been brilliant in the short rotation that D’Antoni loves to employ. He has started all 44 games for the Knicks thus far and has been solid in nearly every single one. His averages of 9.8 points and 7.1 rebounds have been some of the most consistent of any rookie on a team that will more than likely make the playoffs. What certainly does not hurt is that Fields is shooting at a clip of 52.1 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from deep. In any system, he would be a major contributor.

Images via NBA.com

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by | November 9, 2010 · 12:59 PM

Power Rankings

It's good to be undefeated

It’s only a handful of games into the season but it’s these games that can set the pace for teams.  Some have started the season off well.  Some haven’t.  Some are building what could be formidable playoff teams while others are already snowballing into what will turn them into lottery teams next summer.  However they are starting the season, every team is setting a theme for both the best and the worst.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (7-0)

Being the No. 1 scoring team in the league should be at no surprise for the defending champs.  Point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are both averaging only four assists per game and they are putting up 22 a game (9th in the league).  They are spreading out the ball and utilizing their depth very appropriately.  We could still question parts of this bench but Blake and Matt Barnes give them a lot more to work with.  As long as Pau Gasol is playing well both defensively and offensively, sky is the limit for the Lakers.

2. New Orleans Hornets (6-0)

The Hornets are only scoring 97 points a game.  This stat comes to no surprise when you look at who can really score in New Orleans but the fact that they are still undefeated really sticks out.  A team built around arguably the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul would be thought to be perfect this far into the season around offense.  Instead, it’s the defense that is propelling this team forward.  While giving up only 91 points a game, the Hornets have held Milwaukee to 81, Miami to 93 and San Antonio to 90.  This is the best start in franchise history for the Hornets but how long can the winning last?

3. Boston Celtics (6-2)

The pieces are coming together nicely in Boston.  Rajon Rondo is averaging 15.5 assists a game and has surely won over the respect of both his teammates and the pundits.  Scoring distribution will keep this team fresh and a good man running point will definitely help.  Five of their six wins are over teams that were in the playoffs last season.  We have yet to see Shaquille O’neal and Kendrick Perkins both active on this roster.

4. Atlanta Hawks (6-2)

It’s balance that is keeping these Hawks afloat and that’s the best thing to build a season on.  Josh Smith is making a case for early MVP consideration and will just get better over the course of the season.  It’s also looking like extending Al Horford’s contract is looking like a good decision.  They are averaging 104 points a game while still collecting 32 defensive boards a game. However, this team needs to recover from its recent two game slide.

5. Miami Heat (5-2)

For those of you that expected the Heat to win 82 games, sorry but that can’t happen now.  In addition, loses to both Boston and New Orleans should be nothing to be embarrassed about right now.  Erik Spoelstra needs to figure out the best rotation of the bench that wont hurt them too much.  Right now, the bench is being outscored and outplayed.  It’s a long season and three players cannot carry a team by themselves.

6. Orlando Magic (5-1)

Orlando should technically be 6-1 but issues at Madison Square Garden caused the Knicks to postpone their inevitable loss to the Magic.  Regardless, their one loss to the Heat is warranted and Rashard Lewis needs to put up more than 2 points for the Magic to win such a statement game.

7. Denver Nuggets (4-3)

Nene, Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin are out with injuries.  They beat the Mavericks in Dallas with Sheldon Williams starting and that speaks volumes about how this team will perform when their big men return.  Their depth will increase tremendously.  If Denver keeps winning, it may translate to a happy Carmelo Anthony and when Melo is happy, everyone is happy.

8. Portland Trail Blazers (5-3)

Holding Phoenix to just 92 points and later Milwaukee to only 76 is what is helping this Trail Blazers team make the point that they are serious about defense.  Marcus Camby can defend well but Nate McMillen will need to figure out how to get some more scoring from his frontcourt.  His starting forwards only scored nine points against the Lakers on Sunday and they aren’t even breaking 100 points per game. It was, however, their fifth game in seven days.

9. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

Dallas has seven players that will show up every night on the court. Jason Kidd is showing almost no signs of age while the frontcourt is stacked with Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler.  Dallas narrowly beat Denver last Wednesday just to lose to them Saturday.  The Mavs will rebound once Caron Butler and Shawn Marion hit their strides.  However, Dallas needs to clean up its turnovers that are at 16 a game and their bench is ranked second to last in scoring. Although there are no “statement” games in November, beating Boston is the closest you can get to having one.

10. San Antonio Spurs (5-1)

Their record is impressive until you see that they have only beaten one team that made the playoffs last season in Phoenix.  They are fourth in the league in scoring with 109 a game and their next three games are easy wins against the Clippers, Bobcats and the 76ers.  The youth in San Antonio surrounded by a mix of good coaching and veterans will spell out an interesting season.  However, Greg Popavich needs his young guys to get the minutes they need to grow.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

It’s funny that a team with Russell Westbrook is ranked 30th in the league in assists per game but when you look at the depth in OKC, it begins to make sense.  The ball isn’t being spread out enough and sheer depth may haunt the Thunder again this season.  Again, it’s 82 games and it takes more than an sixth man to get through a season and make the playoffs out West.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)

Rudy Gay became the first player in franchise history to score at least 25 points a game in five consecutive games.  However, it’s their defense that needs to step up since they are allowing their opponents to score 107 points a game.  They are undersized and young which is a bad place to be in the Western Conference.  It’s going to a long season with hopefully some growth.

13. Utah Jazz (3-3)

Deron Williams and company are obviously hurting from loosing some of their star players.  With Mehmet Okur out, the Jazz are limited in size and they are obviously having a hard time scoring when they can only muster up 78 points against the Warriors.  It wont get any easier with them playing Miami, Orlando and Atlanta this week.

14. Phoenix Suns (3-4)

Steve Nash entered the season with reservations about the Suns’ chances this season.  Losses to Portland, San Antonio and LA aren’t something to be ashamed of this season.  In all three of their loses, Hedo Turkoglu has scored six points twice and nine points once.  Maybe it’s time to put some production into this starting lineup. Alvin Gentry is going to get to the point where he no longer asks permission to yell at his team.

15. Chicago Bulls (3-3)

Derrick Rose and the Bulls really took it to the Celtics last Friday in a come back that forced overtime.  They fell short in the extra minutes but the play of both Rose and Joakim Noah should keep Bulls fans optimistic.  If Tom Thibodeau and company want to win, Ronnie Brewer needs more minutes and Carlos Boozer needs to return from injury.

16. Golden State Warriors (5-2)

The Warriors have started the season off 4-0 for the first time in 20 years.  Subsequently, three of those four wins are against teams that failed to reach the postseason last year and Utah isn’t the beast it once was.  Monta Ellis has already had two very impressive outings of 46 and 39 points and the return of Stephen Curry will greatly help this backcourt.

17. New York Knicks (3-3)

A win in Chicago could or couldn’t be a big deal this early in the season since we have yet to see them form.  Their other two wins were against Toronto and Washington which both paint a better picture of what this team is truly capable of.  We all know that Mike D’antoni teams can get worn out and that Amar’e Stoudemire’s heightened level of play wont last.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)

Cleveland has the fourth best bench as far as scoring in the league.  That same bench never got LeBron James a ring so we don’t really expect the same to pan out for Antawn Jamison and friends.  Byron Scott is letting them grow but that’s about all we expect from this season.  An initial win over Boston is impressive until you see that they lost to Toronto and Sacramento the following days.

19. Sacramento Kings (3-3)

The Kings are scoring but still allowing their opponents to rack up 107 points a game.  DeMarcus Cousins has yet to record a 10-rebound game and Tyreke Evans is still trying to do too much on the court.  Good news is that their both young and when they click, it could mean a lot to wherever the Kings end up playing next.

20. Milwaukee Bucks (2-5)

Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting the Bucks rolling into this season.  They are 30th in the league in scoring at only 89 a game and it’s mainly due to their depth.  Drew Gooden is giving them some more power up front but with just Corey Maggette producing off of the bench, it may be a long road for the Bucks.

21. Houston Rockets (1-5)

All five of Houston’s losses came from very formidable teams this season (Lakers, Warriors, Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets).  Aaron Brooks will be missed and Kyle Lowry will not be able to carry the load by himself.  Luis Scola and Kevin Martin are working out well with all the injuries but Rick Adelman needs a healthy roster in order to compete.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (2-5)

Philly started the season off with losses against Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Washington.  If you are surprised, close this window immediately.  Evan Turner’s scoring has been up and down but what can you expect from a rookie surrounded by a bunch of trash?  Surprisingly, their bench is ranked first in scoring.

23. Indiana Pacers (2-3)

At first, it’s looks like Darren Collison may be a little in over his head at running Indiana’s point.  Then again, look at who this young man is passing to.  He filled in when Westbrook went down at UCLA and stepped up last season when Paul went down in New Orleans.  However, the talent is pretty thin in Indiana.  Danny Granger seems to be approaching a nice stride but there isn’t much other good news coming out of Indiana.

24. Detroit Pistons (2-5)

The Pistons are bottom feeders in almost every statistical category. This does not bode well for a team that is striving to achieve mediocrity. However, they have won their last two contests. Pistons fans should take any small achievement as good news because there will not be much this season.

25. Los Angeles Clippers (1-6)

At least one team in L.A. has a tough start to their schedule. The Clippers have faced the likes of Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Utah in their first seven games with their only win coming against the struggling Thunder. It must be hard to be the bastard child of the Staples center and see the Lakers with a sugarplum and lolly pop schedule until late January.

26. New Jersey Nets (2-4)

Right now the Nets are on a better winning pace than last year. That is the upside. It doesn’t look like Avery Johnson is ever going to let third overall draft pick, Derrick Favors, into the starting lineup anytime soon now that Troy Murphy is back. In their most recent loss, the Nets did their best Washington Generals impersonation to the Heat’s Globetrotter act.

27. Washington Wizards (1-4)

John Wall and Gilbert Arena will be reunited again. That’s good.  Their one win however, well, that’s not so good. December is going to be a rough month for the Wiz so now is their best opportunity to get some wins under their belt. Hopefully, the Republicans won’t try to filibuster their next win.

28. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6)

They were in the playoffs last season and had the number one rated team defense in the league. Now, they have a defensive rating ranked 20th. Not good. Maybe His Airness can breathe some life into this franchise. Something needs to happen, and quick, if they want another playoff birth.

29. Toronto Raptors (1-6)

The Raptors are bad. We knew they would be. They were bad last year even with Chris Bosh on their roster so what are the expectaions of them now that he is gone? Right, there are none. One thing that Raptors fans can take delight in is that the so-called Young Gunz on the team will put on a decent show every night. Jose Calderon needs to be back in the starting lineup otherwise the team’s assists will continue to be dreadful.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)

We wrote an open letter to David Kahn. This is something we normally wouldn’t do. However, the T-Wolves are terrible. Kurt Rambis coaches like a chicken with his head cut off and has no sense that Kevin Love is their best player. They are ranked last in most every statistical category. They only thing that Minnesota fans have to look forward to is the high draft pick that the team will get next summer…which Kahn will promptly waste on yet another point guard. KAAAAHHN!

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by | November 4, 2010 · 10:44 AM

Monta Ellis leads Warriors over Grizzlies

The new Warriors jerseys are so clean

Was it the game of the night? No, that claim goes to the bout between the Mavericks and Nuggets or possibly the Bucks and Celtics. Nonetheless, the matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies at the Golden State Warriors was a game that should not have been missed. These are two up and coming teams in the Western Conference who are looking to establish themselves in the standings and set a tone for their teams as a whole.

Keith Smart, the Warriors new head coach, had his hands full when he took the reins late this summer. He was replacing a Hall of Fame coach, who had lost his magic, and inheriting what had become a sub-par team in recent years. He had some star talent on the roster in Monta Ellis and new addition David Lee, however, implementing it with an NBA game structure to support it rather than a Rucker Park style of play would be his biggest challenge.

Memphis is coming off the fresh extension of starting point guard Mike Conley. The owner and the players expect the team to make the playoffs this season even in the jam-packed and competitive Western Conference. They are still a young team who are learning how to compete with the perennial playoff contenders. An early season win at Dallas should speak volumes about the Grizzlies as a whole but that win can be attributed to sloppy play and barrage of turnovers late by the Mavericks, not to the might of Memphis’ play that evening.

So, who are these teams and what do they want to be? All those questions were thrust onto center court last night as they faced off (but not in the sense of that John Travolta movie Face Off with Nicolas Cage). Before an attendance of 16,607, the lowest in three games this season at Oracle Arena, the stage could have been set for mediocrity. That was far from the case as each team saw an impressive display from their star players.

The game remained close throughout the first half with the Warriors edging out a 64-52 lead at halftime on a pair of buckets by Dorell Wright, including a three-pointer with three seconds remaining in the second quarter. Wright connected on four three-pointers in the first half on his way to seven for the game, one shy of Golden State’s team record which was set by Jason Richardson.

In the third quarter the Warriors extended their lead to 79-61 before Memphis would make their push. It was fueled by the Grizzlies best players: Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, and Conley. Over the final six and a half minutes of of the third they simply exploded. Gay scored seven points, dished two assists, and collected a rebound. Mayo scored eight points and pulled down two defensive rebounds while Conley had five points, three assists, and two rebounds in the run. Memphis closed the gap and trailed 83-88 after three quarters.

Smart sat Ellis, who had been ineffective during the Grizzlies run with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. He only scored four points during the third but had four assists. Ellis would remain on the bench until the 7:11 mark in the fourth quarter with the Grizzlies within four points. From that point forward it was the Monta Ellis show. He shreded the Memphis defense to score 17 points over the remainder of the game to solidify a 115-109 victory for the Warriors.

Before the game, Keith Smart had said that he wanted Ellis to be aggressive and to play his game. Ellis did just that. He scored 39 points on the evening, leading all scorers, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

Wright contributed 25 points and six rebounds, Lee scored 15 and had 16 boards, and Reggie Williams had 16 off the bench as the Warriors improved 3-1 on the season and have not lost a home game yet with their only loss coming on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the loss, the Grizzlies’ record  fell to 2-3. Gay led the way for them with 35 points and seven rebounds and Mayo chipped in 23 points. Memphis is starting to look smart for extending Conley’s contract, though it is still early, as he scored 18 and a career high 13 assists.

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