Photo. Tim TadderConspiracy theories abound, from Don Nelson trying to get himself fired, to the club antagonizing Baron Davis so that he’ll opt of his deal. From Peter Vecsey today:
Several core Warriors are convinced owner Chris Cohan is considering paying off ($5.1M) Don Nelson rather than risk a players’ rebellion next season.
That gloomy forecast is largely based on how downbeat last season ended. In the second half of the Warriors’ elimination-from-playoff-contention loss (next to last game) at Phoenix, Nelson benched Baron Davis - purportedly because his offense backfired (2-13) in the opening 24 minutes. He did not play in the second half, as if a franchise player never shot blanks only to rediscover his stroke of genius in the final 24.The night before the game, Versace held a reception for Davis in Phoenix that was scheduled to last from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. It was not a party, underlines a Warriors official, yet it was referred to in that sense by the Arizona Republic the next day.
Numerous observers, me included, were convinced Nelson disciplined Davis for “partying” the night before such a big game after he was unable to find the range in the first half.
Column co-conspirators swear it was Nelson way to provoke his firing in order to return to his dream life in Maui. Why? Because supposedly he realized more and more key players (one of the top six already wants to be traded) had become anesthetized by his con.
On the other hand, there are more than a few Warriors observers who believe Nelson (with management’s unspoken blessing) might’ve been trying to incite Davis to exercise his early-out clause July 1, 2008 in order to become a free agent.
Executive VP Chris Mullin could certainly use the $17.8M Davis would forfeit in that event to invest in rising free agents Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus.
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May 16th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Scott says:
Its kind of ironic that the theory would be to get rid of B-Diddy so that they can pay the other guys, considering, you know, he’s basically their engine. Without him they’re the Warriors from pre-Baron days, searching to find some consistency.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Kobeef says:
I don’t think Nellie benched BD to piss him off. I do think Nellie benched BD (and the team did not play well down the stretch) because they knew they weren’t going far in the playoffs and that adding some talent through the draft was probably the best option at this point.
The Warriors have good perimiter players but their low-post is a mess. They need some quality inside players.
Harrinton and Jackson are tied up with big contracts for two more years so they are probably not moving but if Baron opts out the Warriors are about $30 million under the cap.
They could also buy out Foyle for less than his contract so he could try to get work somewhere instead of sitting on the bench.
Really, the best thing that could happen to them right now is probably for Baron to be moved either by sign and trade or through an opt-out. If that happens they should also move Jackson because you probably don’t want him setting the tone for your team.
I am not a big fan of Monta. I am really concerned that he will pull a “Grant Hill” and go down with long term knee injuries after signing a contract. I also think he is a Mo Wiliams type me-first PG so I’d look at other options and try to trade him.
Basically, blow it up. You’ll probably still have Al Harrington around as part of the rebuilding process but hopefully you can move the others and get some draft picks.
I think Baron will end up on the Clippers with Brand and Kaman which is a good start. Throw in Al Thornton at SF and a decent Sg and that team is worth watching.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
GEE...Word to mama, I tongue kiss a pirahana... says:
Look at these rumors surrounding me everyday! Just need some time to make them go away lol.
Got to love the stuff that comes up closer to and in the off-season.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Big V says:
They don’t need to change that team around. Maybe a little backcourt shuffling with Diddy and Monta, but that’s about it. They’re capable of beating anyone on any given night, and although that might hold true for any team in the league, I think GS is a better than average team. Do I think they’re championship material? No, but they have a GREAT core of young talent, even if/when Baron leaves.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Brown says:
Baron’s contract is not the problem, neither is the way he plays. Nelson is the reason this team stinks, but not for any of the reasons mentioned above. As a die-hard Warriors fan, I can’t stand Don Nelson. They play a style and trot out lineups that are designed to fail. His reluctance to play any of the young players for the past two years have set the franchise back, despite what progress they made beating the Mavs last year.
There are a number of issues, of which I will try to explain.
1) They don’t have a PF. Well, they do, but Nelson won’t give Brandan Wright any PT. Same goes for Patrick O’Bryant. Both guys can contribute, but only if they’re given the PT to develop. And don’t give me the “they didn’t earn it in practice” BS. They have nobody to challenge them in practice. Going up against Biedrins and Harrington is hardly the type of competition the rest of the West has to offer. The only way to prepare to go up against the elite bigs in the West is to play against them.
2) They don’t use their players correctly. Because they have no inside game, every player becomes a jacker. Steven Jackson was a good player for the Spurs because he didn’t have to take 20-25 shots a night. He might get you 18-26 points, but with the Spurs he could get 10-14 on less than half that many attempts. Al Harrington is useless on this team and it’s his contract that’s weighing the team down financially. They have enough scorers and small forwards, and he can’t play PF, not even off the bench.
There’s so much potential on this team, but Nelson has no idea how to use it. His style of play, while entertaining, is designed to fail. He needs to go, or the Warriors will go back to being the same ol’ Warriors. Some luck in the lottery this year might help, but I’m not counting on it because Nelson won’t play him anyways.
Marco Belinelli may want to call JJ Redick and form a support group for shooters who aren’t given the chance to shoot in games and the coaches are wasting their careers.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Brown says:
Kobeef,
They release Foyle last year and he signed with Orlando. They’re on the hook for another year of his contract. Another crippling move by management. They let Erick Dampier go because he wanted too much money ($9 mill), but they signed Foyle to a long-term deal worth $8 mill per. Where’s the logic in that?
Baron’s contract is not the problem, it’s the money owed to Foyle and wasted on Al Harrington.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Kobeef Foyle has been playing for Orlando for the past year and a half.
I from the Bay Area and a big Warriors Fan. I loved that Nellie got us to the playoffs after a long drought. But he’s style of play will never win a championship. I think it’s time they really bring someone in that wants to preach defense and actually play the young guys on the roster. They have a quality big on the bench with Brandon Wright and a lights out shooter in the italian Bellinelli. But Nells never gives them any playing time to develop. Word is Mullin makes it a requirement that the coach he hires playes this type of basketball that’s why he wanted Dantoni so bad…so I say get rid of Mullin too and get a GM that’s looking to win it all and not just be satisfied with first round exits!!!
May 16th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Kobeef says:
@Brown and Bob
I totally forgot they bought-out Foyle. Can’t blame me - guy was MIA in GS and hasn’t played in Orlando.
Sad part of that is he is still getting $9 million from GS in 2009…
Ok - so maybe the keep BD but he needs to chill on his contract demands. They can’t build a team around him if he’s getting paid $17 million.
If they keep Baron the need to go after Brand (who is 100% going to opt out because Miami wants him). A starting linep of:
PG - Baron
SG - (Draft pick)
SF - SJax
PF - Brand
C - Biedris
would address the frontcourt issues. Also, the core is at the same point of their career so you could work with them for 3-4 years. Maybe O’Bryant does a Bynum during that time….
May 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
JDizzle says:
Brown,
First off, the team doesn’t stink. They won 48 games this year. That’s a great season, and Nelson is the main reason for the turnaround. I’m not convinced that the Warriors/Suns style of play can’t win a championship. I think the Warriors just ran out of gas at the end of the year. I do agree that Nelson should have given Wright and Belinelli more playing time. That would have saved the starters. Barnes and Pietrus have to go and let Azubuike, Belinelli, Croshere, and Wright be your bench. I also think that people are too quick to throw Baron under the bus, saying that he should be traded, etc. He is a fierce competitor (like Jackson), and that’s something you can’t teach. As good as Monta is, he’s not a battler. If Monta has a bad shooting night, it takes him out of the game. Not Baron. They absolutely need him next year.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Brown says:
JDizzle,
I agree with a lot of what you said. Monta is a keeper though. He rarely has a bad shooting night and doesn’t go stretches where he plays bad or even below average. Dude is one of the best scoring guards in the league. He’s not a 1, he’s not a 2, he’s a scoring guard, but he does seem to be a bit of a defensive liability.
This team does stink, and I’ll tell you why (again). They have no frontcourt/inside game. Biedrins can’t shoot. His points come from dunks and putbacks, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s magnified because he’s the only big man on the court. There’s 5 positions in basketball, and if you have a glaring weakness at one of those positions, your team isn’t going to be able to compete with the big boys. They get MANHANDLED on the boards and have absolutely no inside game unless one of their guards takes someone into the post, which doesn’t happen to often with this team. Rebounding is a fundamental aspect of the game, and if you’re on the losing side of the boards the majority of the games you play, then guess what, you live and die by the jump shot and your team ain’t going very far.
I want the Warriors to be able to compete for a championship, not play an “entertaining” style of basketball and have (realistic) aspirations of only making it to the second round of the playoffs. They have the horses to run with the big boys, but for some reason they love small-ball, which is not a winning strategy if it’s your ONLY strategy.
The team needs to be tweaked, but right now there’s some pieces that absolutely stink. Going into the Western playoffs (if they even make it) without a decent option at the 4 is like going into a gunfight with a knife. The West is stacked with quality big men, just look at who’s left in the playoffs, and more often than not the Warriors look like boys among men because they just can’t make up for that weakness.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Dave says:
Baron was playing like garbage that night. Nellie was trying to win the game and his moves got the team back in the game and the Warriors almost stole a win.
Baron just a bad game. It happens.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
JHov says:
Getting rid of B Diddy and keeping those other players is like cutting off the head to spite the body! He makes the whole thing work..”Captain Jack” is the heart on Baron’s the brain!
May 16th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
JDizzle says:
Brown,
Don’t get me wrong, I love Monta, and I think he’s the most consistent shooter on the team. I just don’t think he has the same killer instinct that Baron has (ala Kobe). Biedrins does have some post moves, but they just don’t give him the ball. He can’t shoot outside 5 feet though. Wright will also develop. They really could have used a pure shooter last year to come in when everyone else was off. Hopefully Belinelli will be that guy. I don’t think they need any more scoring (they did lead the league in scoring didn’t they), but they do need some timely scoring in the post. I think someone like Paul Millsap would be PERFECT for them. He’s a beast, and can rebound and score when necessary.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:44 am
doc says:
Who cares break them bastards up.
May 17th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
PJ says:
Anything Peter Vecsey says = garbage. straight up. I take whatever info he gives for a grain of salt.