What Are the Warriors Without Baron Davis?
Can the Warriors win with S Jack and Monta?They’ve lost Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond, Latrell Sprewell and Gilbert Arenas. In return, they’ve gotten Tom Gugliotta, Billy Owens, a much older John Starks, and absolutely nothing back for Agent Zero. That’s not encouraging. If Baron does indeed break the heart of the “We Believe” faithful in ORACLE and sign with the Clips, what’s going to happen to the Warriors?
One Golden State blogger said that without Boom, they “are quite possibly fielding the worst team in the League.”
Warriors beat writer Tim Kawakami undertook the challenge of improving Golden State’s roster beyond a nucleus of Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph and Andris Biedrins. (Kawakami included Randolph in the projected starting five, not us. He’s not ready to start in this League.) HERE‘s what he came up with.
* Bait the Knicks into sending Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph to Golden State in exchange for Al Harrington, whose contract expires in the now-apocalyptic 2010 – when LeBron/DWade become free agents – and a protect No. 1.
* Get Kirk Hinrich from the Bulls on the cheap now that Derrick Rose‘s statue is nearing construction in Chicago.
* Trick Chris Wallace into sending Javaris Crittenton to Golden State. They might have to also take on Marko Jaric, but on the bright side, that brings Adriana Lima around too.
* Tell the Celtics to shove off and go as hard as possible after Corey Maggette. They could make this move and still have enough money to go after a point guard within five months to a year.
If you’re Chris Mullin, what’s you’re move?
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July 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
Imperial_Mel says:
Monta Ellis is that man on da court but w/o Boom, its a wrap!!! No More “WE BELIEVE CHANTS” I guess they will become the new Sonics, or Bobcats
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
fiyaman says:
answer.. nothing! also I dont get it.. they offer Arenas a max contract but cant stay loyal to Bdiddy (who is better than areans)… thats y they alwqays gonna be losers..
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 am
Dagomar says:
I think those moves would be terrible. The Warriors have a ton of good young talent at the moment; unless they land Arenas this summer they’re in the middle of a rebuilding project around Ellis. They won’t win many games next year, but if they can trade Jackson/Harrington for some young talent and cap space, and with a high lottery pick, they’ll be perfectly situated to rebuild quickly. And Ellis can be a genuine player in this league.
Of course, all that means they can’t make asinine trades for locker room cancers/underachievers (Randolph), 30-year-old swingmen (Maggette) and huge contracts (Jaric). Hinrich is intriguing, but only if he signs for a reasonable contract and gets over that slump he fell into last year.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 am
fiyaman says:
I’d take that Knicks trade even though I like crawford
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 am
dukesman2000 says:
Without even reading the article, I will answer the question. NOTHING!!!!!
I hear a lot of so called pundits and fair weather band-wagon hopping fans exalting Monta Ellis last season and basically shitting on Boom Dizzle’s significance on the squad. Giving Monta Ellis the accolades is well deserved, dude can ball but to refer to BD like he is an after thought is asinine. Skill wise, BD will put Monta to sleep. The only reason Monta was able to drive the lanes like he did was because BD kept the defense honest. When BD is on the floor, the defense has to take note and they cannot double or trap Monta because of BD’s presence.
I am dying to see what Monta Ellis is able to do now that BD is gone.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
agreed Dukesman. Monta’s good, but I don’t know that he’s quite as good as some people think (though we’ll see this year!)
If I’m the Warriors, I’m rethinking what’s going on. With Brandon Wright, Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, and Monta Ellis, you’ve got a team with a ton of potential (and a few years of waiting.) I think Wright will be legit, Randolph may be (though there’s a legacy of completely underachieving, athletic, rail-thin big men from LSU that he could easily jump right into too,) Biedrins is a poor man’s Camby, very solid, and Monta, it’s just a question of how good he really is, but everyone knows he’s unquestionably a good starter in the league at the very least. Not a bad nucleus… just not for this year
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:12 am
rangerjohn says:
expect the warriors to try to pick up some people now, they are only about 25 mil under the cap, and then they are only about 40 mil under the lux tax.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:55 am
ERIC says:
the warrior’s low-balled BoomDizzle and then turn around and offer Arenas a 5-year $100 mill? that’s cold.
I say try to get Spree and Tim Hardaway back – if nothing else lots of publicity and drama!
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:05 am
Imperial_Mel says:
WOW Spree, and Timmy. You tryin to have another Piston/Indy brawl within the team. And yes, duke you right, which is wht i was saying in lesser words, BD spacs the floor really well, and wit monta’s speed he fills the gaps which leads him to stripping buckets all day, and whem they stop the penetration BD has the gun to make the become honest with all those long range “I dont giev a f*&k” bombs!!!
I would like to see Monta go somewhere like Utah or Detriot so he can really show wht hes about, and be around a winning team for a chance, not a team jus out on adrenaline alone
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Truth says:
@fiyaman
D*man you smart!!!LOL!!
I don’t get that sh*t either. Offer arenas a 100 mil when this fool is CURRENTLY hurt, and not stand by B-diddy. The NBA management kills me!!
All those proposed trades mentioned above suck a*s, the only one I would even go wit is hinrich and MAYBE Crawford and Randolph, I think Randolph is a double double machine, if a coach could only teach this dude to not be a f*ckin black hole!!
@rangerjohn
They may have a good salary situation, but trust Golden State a f*ck it up!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
Kobeef says:
Without BoomDizzle Golden State is a team in the middle of a rebuilding project.
The thing is, instead of panic signings the Warriors should accept the fact that they are rebuilding and focus on moving vetran players for expiring contracts and young talent. They already have a few solid young players in Biedris, Monta and Wright and with some smart moves they could at least be exciting to watch.
Al Harrington is probably impossible to move with his $10million salary but SJax is getting about $7 million a year and is a legit starting SG/SF in this league and he plays great D. Ironically, the Clippers would be a great place for SJax because they need a SG beside BD. If the Clips could trade someone like Eric Gordon + DeAndre Jordan for SJax it would make some sense for both teams
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
JA says:
Send Harrington for Hinrich (salaries match).
Throw the max at Josh Smith and see if they get lucky.
Try to get Diop for a backup Center.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
bleedingfinger says:
die hard ‘dubs fan (since 1985, so i’ve seen it all). forget trying to replace Boom. I appreciate the last 3 years, but he’s “Hollywood” with his movies and stuff, so LA was a natural move. If I were mullin, go HARD after Josh smith like JA was saying in post #12, resign Aziubuke and Barnes, and play the kids. Ellis, Captain Jack, J Smooth, Wright and Biedris would be a long, athletic and fast starting 5.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
@Truth, when you say Randolph is a double double machine, you mean double servings and a double chin, right?
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Truth says:
@Celts
LMAO post 14.
Last years stats 17 and 10 homie
year before that 23 and 10
Dude can hoop, he just got a attitude and he lazy as f*ck.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
LakeShow84 says:
They will stink.. here we go again.. Like i said, Mullin is starting to biff it..
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
BxBaller says:
I cosign with post 15, watching dude play last season, he got a lot of talent. I still don’t understand how dude with absolutely no hops(he dunked a total of twice last season) pulls double-digit rebounds. However, Zach plays mad selfish. He reminds of that cat on the playground who shoots everytime he touches the ball.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
Truth, I know Zach can play, just wanted to use the double chin line!
His biggest problem is that he needs to be next to a Marcus Camby type who can make up for his many defensive problems, not Eddy Curry, who’s just like Randolph, only infinitely worse.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
@Biff and anyone else crushing Mullen, don’t forget, this is the same guy that re-upped Mike Dunleavy to 5 years, $45M, and did something similar with Troy Murphy. This is not a good GM. I cannot stress this enough. He needs to be lumped in with the Larry Birds, MJs, and Isiahs as HOFers (Mullen should be there eventually, right?) or close that aren’t good GMs. He just got lucky cuz he was able to swindle Larry and Donnie Walsh into that stupid trade for both of those terrible, overpaid white boys. Unfortunately for him, the luster of that move has worn off and he’s left trying to put the pieces back together…
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
johnsacrimoni says:
The Kings, Sonics, T-Wolves and Grizzlies will all be worse than the Warriors next year. The worst team in the league next year might be the Pacers.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Dave says:
What’s the over/under on the Warriors next making the playoffs?
They have to beat their previous 12 years mark right?
I’m thinking 5 years. Lot of raw youth there that needs to mature.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
AY says:
I can’t believe the crazy support for baron davis; this warriors team had him before don nelson for 2 years and got nowhere, and all of a sudden he’s the guy who made the warriors? Forget that gilbert is 3 years younger, forget that gilbert has been a better player, and we need to talk about professionalism here. Baron Davis signed his large new orleans contract in 2002 and then proceed to miss a quarter of the games every year for 5 years, then all of a sudden he plays every game last year and opts out, demands a contract extension. Based on his past efforts, why would you sign a guy who pulls this crap?
And I’m no gilbert arenas supporter; arenas is better than davis, but he’s no max contract guy. They’d just be wasting their money with him. I want the warriors to push hard to get josh smith: there is no better 4 that fits nelson’s style than josh smith. Then make trades for another quick guard in the mode of barbosa or lou williams. Resign biedrins to something reasonable and get an outside chugger and a vet, that’s a better way to spend the 18 mil freed up by baron davis than just giving it to another guy who doesn’t deserve it.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 pm
frankie says:
A.) The Warriors won’t be the worst team in the NBA. Baron is really good, and he was the straw that stirred their drink, but cmon. they won more than 50 games last year.
B.) the warriors also lost antawn jamison. d.c. thanks golden state for its basketball contributions.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 pm
B-DID says:
BARON WAS GONE NO MATTER WHAT. WHY ELSE WOULD HE DROP A 17MI CONTRACT. NOT MULLINS FAULT. ALL THE NEED IS A NEW POINT AND ITS ON ONCE AGAIN. EITHER THAT OR MAKE MONTA DRIBBLE ALL SUMMER SO HE CAN RUN THE POINT AND PUT IN THAT SNIPER FROM EUROPE. MULLY WILL PULL SOMETHING OUT WITH ALL THAT CAP SPACE. AGENT ZERO WILL WORK BUT THAT IS TOO MUCH MONEY FOR INJURED PLAYER IN MY OPINION. EITHER WAY WARRIORS BASKETBALL ITS A GREAT TIME OUT. RUN AND GUN ALL 48 MINUTES. WHOEVER SCORES MORE WINS RIGHT?