2008-09 Recap
Record: 29-53 (.354)- Third in Pacific Division
- Tenth in Western Conference
What Went Wrong: Yikes, where do I begin? Baron Davis jilted the Warriors, signing a free-agent deal with his home town Clippers. Then -- seemingly motivated by revenge -- the Warriors signed Clipper free agent Corey Maggette -- despite being three-deep at Maggette's position.
Monta Ellis, the electric young combo guard Nelson was hoping to shift to the point in Davis' place, wrecked his ankle in a moped accident, then lied to the team about how he got hurt. He missed most of the season.
Nelson's relationship with forward Al Harrington soured, and he was eventually traded to the Knicks for Jamal Crawford. The Nelson/Crawford relationship wasn't much better; at one point, Nelson reportedly told Crawford he'd be traded if he didn't opt out of his contract after the season. At various times during the second half, Crawford and other veterans were held out of games, so Nelson could get a look at some of the team's younger players.
And this summer, another Warrior veteran -- forward Stephen Jackson -- started demanding a trade, and Ellis told reporters that he can't play in the same backcourt with rookie Stephen Curry.
Offseason Moves
Key Additions: Stephen Curry (draft), Acie Law, Speedy Claxton (trade - Hawks), Devean George (trade - Raptors)Key Subtractions: Jamal Crawford (trade - Hawks), Marco Belinelli (trade - Raptors)
The Warriors traded Crawford -- a potential 20 point-per-game scorer -- for two backup point guards unlikely to crack Nelson's rotation, and moved Belinelli -- the darling of the 2008 Summer Leagues -- for yet another swingman.
Curry, one of the top scorers in the NCAA over the last three seasons, is expected to team in the backcourt with Ellis -- despite Ellis' objections. Curry and Ellis are both natural shooting guards, but the alignment could work because small forward Stephen Jackson has the ability to initiate the offense from the wing. Of course, Jackson is also demanding a trade, and was suspended for insubordination during the preseason.
2009-10 Outlook
Despite all the drama, the Warriors have some very interesting young players. The NBA community has been buzzing all summer about Randolph's potential. Center Andris Biedrins is one of the better young pivots in the league; with Turiaf, he gives Golden State an excellent tandem in the middle. Kelenna Azubuike is a valuable do-everything wing player and Maggette is a pure scorer. Ellis looked like an emerging star before his injury, and the team simply loves Curry; a long-rumored trade that would have brought Amar'e Stoudemire to Oakland never materialized, in part because the Warriors wouldn't give up the rookie from Davidson. With Houston expected to take a step backwards this season, there might be a Western Conference playoff spot up for grabs.But it's hard to imagine the Warriors making a playoff push unless they're able to resolve some of their internal issues... that could mean dealing Jackson, or getting Ellis to grow up a little. Or it could mean a change on the bench.
Fantasy Notes
The Warriors should be a go-to team for fantasy players, because Nelson is an offensive guru that favors a quick pace and high-scoring games. But Nelson has also been known to play "mad scientist" with his rotations a little too often, mixing and matching players based on matchups. Because you can never really predict which Warriors will play on any given night, I tend to avoid Nelson's players in most fantasy drafts.One notable exception is Corey Maggette. Maggette is a valuable player in rotisserie formats because he shoots a high number of foul shots at a very high percentage, which can go a long way towards helping a team win the free-throw percentage category.
