Warriors trade B. Wright and Gadzuric for Troy Murphy and a Second Round Pick

So it looks like the Golden State Warriors are set to trade Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric to the New Jersey Nets for Troy Murphy and a second round pick in the upcoming draft. The Warriors are basically looking to get more picks as it's reported the Warriors are looking to turn around and trade Murphy for another pick. There are some teams in the East like Miami and Orlando looking for some bulk in the paint. We will see if the Warriors can get another second rounder for Murphy. If the Warriors can not trade Murphy don't expect to see him back in a Warriors uniform. The team has stated they will attempt to buy him out if they can not trade him.

This trade looks like a win to me. Murphy makes slightly more than Wright and Gadzuric and chances are they Warriors will buy him out for less than he is worth so look for the Warriors to come out a couple dollars a head. Hopefully the Warriors will do some good with their second round pick and turn the trade into a solid one for the Warriors. Worst case scenario in my opinion is the Warriors go into the offseason with a couple hundred more thousands of dollars. Gadzuric and Wright are both poor poor players and aren't going to help the Warriors make a run this year so I say so long to the two.

Be excited but don't be fooled

There are a lot of good feelings surrounding the Warriors right now. And I say take it all in, baby! The Warriors have won six out of their last eight and are only four games out of the playoffs. This is exciting stuff! It's a very encouraging time to be a Warriors fan. Especially someone like me who predicted doom before the season. But don't be fooled into thinking this team is a legitimate contender for that 8th spot in the West.

Not sure how many of you Warriors fans were paying attention but four of those six wins against good solid NBA opponents came against teams missing some of their best players. Don't get me wrong a win is a win but those were close games that I have to believe that the Warriors would have lost if those teams had their starting five.Warriors could have still maybe pulled one or two of those four out but probably not all four. Also the two losses came to the Phoenix Suns, who the Warriors have to pass to move up the playoff ladder. So while I am happy for the W's I am not super excited about this season as of yet. I am still very happy this team is much better than I thought it would be but for a playoff run things are going to have to be fixed.

The Warriors are going to need to go out and make a trade by next week's deadline. They need help at the center position and off the bench. Fixing one of those two can probably help them sneak into the playoffs. So my fingers are crossed but I'm not going to hold my breath. The Warriors don't have a ton to offer so I'm not expecting a miracle. 

Udooooooooooooooooooooooooooh

If you only read the box score Ekpe Udoh probably didn't look super awesome. But if you watched the Bulls game he had one impressive night. Udoh shutdown Carlos Boozer and helped the Warriors steal a victory from the Chicago Bulls. Udoh is proving to be a solid bench contributor with his defense. Let's agree that this Warriors team is not the best defensive team in the NBA but lately with the help of Udoh nice things have been happening on the defensive side of the ball. Sure his stats won't impress in the box score but give him credit he kept the Bulls low post stud off the glass. And if you are thinking Boozer had an off night he didn't not against the lack luster defense of David Lee.

While Udoh's offensive low post game is still raw he is starting to look like maybe a decent draft pick. Sure maybe the Warriors should have gone with Monroe who is have a decent rookie season for the Pistons but maybe what the Warriors really wanted was more defense not offense. I am looking forward to tonight's game against the Suns to see if can get some extended playing time. I don't see why not, it's not like Andris is doing much. Give this kid a chance I have feeling that this kid may not be a stud but at this point a solid defensive player off the bench would be a very nice piece to this Warriors puzzle.

Would you trade Monta?

From a lot of the reading I do on Warriors forums throughout the internet I have seen many posts or blogs talking about trading Monta Ellis. There are more people than I thought out there, who think Monta is more of a liability than this team's all-star. Those who say this claim Monta is holding Curry back. The writers feel that Curry would be the next Steve Nash without Monta slowing him down. They have the idea that the offense would flow so much better with Curry on the floor and players wouldn't just stand around and watch like they do with Ellis. The part I find intriguing is what could the Warriors get in return for Monta? Well let me give you my opinions on all of this AND MORE!!!!!!! Well maybe I will just stick to this topic and save the AND MORE for my next blog.

First lets talk about what Ellis brings to the court that I am not sure Curry can replace. Monta has finally come into his own when it comes to being a gamer. He is the guy the team knows can hit that shot with game clock running out. He is also the kind of player that doesn't need to be freed up by coming off a screen to get that last shot. He can break down the defender and take it to the rim or pull up and hit the jumper. He is a hard man to stop from getting his shot off during one possession at the end of a game. My question is can Curry do any of this? He certainly hasn't shown me the ability to break players down offensively at will. So therefor at the end of a game the Warriors are going to have to run him off of a screen for an open look. Now once he has that ball with time expiring can he hit that shot. His percentages tell me yes but this is a different scenario than shooting during the rest of the game. Now he certainly did it in college but he isn't playing against the same caliber of player. The answer to this question can only be answered by him doing it and seeing what happens. Personally I don't trade Monta yet until I see that Curry can take over his leadership role at the end of the game.  If you get rid of Monta and it turns out Curry can't fill that role this organization will once again have shot itself in the foot.

Secondly I would like to address the point of Curry making our offense flow better and Monta causing it be stagnant. That is a pile of nonsense. I am not saying that Curry doesn't make the offense flow better or that when the ball is in Monta's hand the offense doesn't get stagnant. What I am saying is that has nothing to do with Monta. Curry is the PG I would hope he would run the offense better. It's not Monta's job to run the offense he is a SG. Curry is in charge of creating that flow as the point guard and if the flow dies every time Monta gets the ball that is on Smart. The coach has to tell his players to keep moving. Ellis has done a fine job this year of finding the open man for a score. Monta isn't that same head down player he used to be. I can't fault Monta for either of those things.

Now if the Warriors trade Ellis who do they get? Personally I think some of us Warriors fans over value Ellis but I don't think by much. There aren't a ton of impact players in the league like him. So who is available and what can the Warriors do? Personally I see only one option, draft picks. Now I know what you are thinking, we should get a player that can have the type of impact that Ellis did. Like maybe a Danny Granger. Well you are now putting yourself right back into the hole of Curry playing second fiddle. So you can't do that and the last thing the Warriors want to get for Ellis is a bunch of decent players but nothing outstanding. Also let's face it Melo isn't coming here so getting superior star isn't happening either. So you have to go young. Get draft picks hope to draft well and let the young guys learn to play with Curry instead of next to him. I personally think that could be a very smart idea (no relation to Keith). This team has a ton of issues right now. It's not going to be fixed tomorrow. Ellis may only be 25 years old but lets not forget he came straight out of HS and if there is one thing I have learned it's that a players NBA body has about the same amount of seasons in it whether you went to college or not. So why not trade Ellis now and get some good young talent to develop with Curry? It's the smart move (again no relation). Unless your organization does a terrible job drafting young talent, uh oh.

If I was the GM I would probably lean toward keeping the two for a little longer but if another team wants to give me a couple first round picks for Ellis I think I pull the trigger. It would be a tough choice but it really would be hard to go wrong with getting several young players who could impact the organization long term.

The Warriors put the D in No Defense

Burt! Butt down! Bend at the knees! Back straight! Arms up! Slide your feet! Those were things yelled at me through out my grade school, high school and summer cap basketball years. Even though I am now 33 years old, ugh, I still to this day play defense with my butt down, knees bent, back straight, arms up and sliding my feet. Well at least the first game or two before I get tired. What I don't understand is how a group of professional basketball players can't remember this stuff.

The Golden State Warriors are probably the worst defensive team in the NBA. OK technically we are ranked 27 out of 30 not last. Still that is terrible. Fun fact, the Warriors have given up 110 points or more 18 times this season.They give up 106 on average. They have also given up the most free throw attempts in the NBA. What this means is the Warriors aren't playing defense with their butt down, knees bent, back straight and arms up. I also highly doubt they are sliding their feet. How can professionals forget all this stuff that I still remember from my coaches yelling at me?

There is just a complete lack of discipline when I watch Warriors games. Guys are making grade school mistakes on defense. During pick and rolls I rarely see any of the guards fight through screens or even hustle around it. If they do the low post player helps and steps out on the guard only to leave the opposing big with a free lane to the basket because no one came over to help out. So that either ends up as a basket or a foul. I am also sickened to see guards half ass it when closing out three point shooters. It's usually a light jog with a hand up. Of coarse they usually run right past the offensive player so they can cherry pick the other end for a lay up. The Warriors bigs are terrible on the defensive end too. Lee maybe undersized but that is no excuse for letting your man consistently get position on you. But to be the other big on the floor with him doesn't always remember to come over and help on the weak side when Lee does get in front. With them lacking fundamentals it's not surprising they have trouble communicating on switches and allowing lots of layups out of half court sets. I can't stand the lack of effort I see on defense every time I watch the Warriors play. Defense is 80% effort. If you at least try you are usually going to bother the offensive player but when teams are going off for 106 points a night on average there is no one being bothered. If the Warriors really gave 100% on the defensive end they would probably be able to hold teams to around 100 points a game and since the Warriors average 103 points a game that will bring in a few more wins.

I thought this no defense, run and gun style of basketball is the reason the Warriors got rid of Don Nelson. All I am seeing out of this Warriors team is the same thing I did the last several seasons. The only plus is our coach is much cheaper. Great, Smart is the poor man's Don Nelson. As I write this the Warriors are only a few games behind in the playoff race. Now I don't expect the Warriors to make the playoffs but if they could play just slightly better D they could really make a legit run at it. I know offense is way more fun than defense is but defense wins championships and nothing is more fun than that. And even if the coaching isn't preaching it all of these players know how to play defense they just have to all decide to make a change. So do me a favor guys and start getting your butt down, knees bent, back straight, arms up and slide those feet.

Mid Season Grades

Thought I would take a page out of the Warriors blogs I read and start my Warriors blog with my mid season grades. So tip of the cap to you other blogs for giving me a starting blog. Plus whoever reads this you can get a feel where I stand with the players on this team.

THE STARTING FIVE


Monta Ellis: A. Monta you get my only A as you are the only player who has shown something special this year. Monta has not only averaged 26 points a game but he has also averaged 6 assists a game. He seems to have matured nicely this season. No more selfish Monta. He is still a threat to take you right to the rim but now he is also a threat to kick it out to a wide open shooter if you dare double team him. The reason he didn't get an A+ is there is still a good amount of room for improvement in his defense.

Stephen Curry: B-. I like where Steph is headed but he hasn't got there yet. In fact he has taken a bit of a step backward this season. When I say that I don't mean in his numbers I mostly mean in his confidence. He doesn't have quite the swagger he seemed to have at times last season. Lately he has looked better and I am hoping that will continue. He still shows the ability to find others when they are open but I would like to see him improve on his scoring. I really think Curry has the ability to be a 20/8 guy in the near future. But his biggest issue is his lack of defense. It has cause Smart to pull him in games. That is unacceptable but Curry seems to be the kind of kid with a good work ethic so I feel he will figure that out soon enough.

Dorell Wright: B. Wow was I wrong about this guy. This guy had meh written all over him when the Warriors signed him. Others told me he would be good but I didn't believe them. What a shooter! This guy is great. He is also a surprisingly good rebounder. My major issue with this guy is that he disappears too often in games or for stretches of a couple games. He needs to become a little more consistent with his play, which will give him even better numbers. Dorell also needs to get better for creating for himself. He has been blessed to play with two quick guards that set him up for open looks quite often. Now he needs to get better at pulling up off the dribble and making his own offense. 

David Lee: B-. Did the Warriors overpay for this guy? Oh dear God yes. Did every team who got a big name free agent overpay? Oh dear God yes. So the Warriors didn't really overpay. Lee has been good. Not great, but good. I feel he might be as important to the Warriors as Monta. Look how bad the Warriors were without him. Sure he needs to get his numbers up a bit. I am sure some of that has to do with other teams knowing the Warriors have no other decent big men and them focusing on containing Lee. I think Lee's numbers will get much better if they can put a serviceable big man next to him. It's also Lee's first season with this franchise so let's give him another season before we all start complaining about his contract. Still 16/10 is nothing to sneeze at.

Andris Biedrins: D. Sorry but I think Andris has to go. His rebounding has been OK at best but for what the Warriors are paying him he brings very little to the team. He had a couple back to back games where he pulled down 12 boards in mid December. Since then he has not pulled double digit rebounds once. I know he had a stint on the injury list but come on in his 9 games back he has not done it once. It would be one thing if he brought some offense to the table but the guy has limited at best post moves. I think it's time for the Warriors to give this kid a fresh start somewhere else.

THE BENCH
OK here are where things get ugly. Hold on to your hats.

Acie Law: D. How many teams would this guy be a starting back up point guard for? Not many. So why is he backing up for the Curry? Because the other back ups are worse! I get that he brings a veteran presence to the floor but I would love to see him bring some offense or defense with him. This is my biggest issue with the Warriors this season. The huge drop off in talent from the starters to the bench. The Warriors have no real 6th or 7th man but that is another blog.

Jeremy Lin: D+. The kid has hustle. I just wish he had some confidence. He looks more out of place in the offense than Steve Buscemi does in a handsome man competition. I know that joke was terrible but so is Lin in the offense. His defense has been average at best. I think Lin has potential so I am not writing him off. I just hope the D League can fix his bashfulness on the court. Point guards have to be leaders.

Reggie Williams: C-. I don't really like this guy. I wanted to give him a D but I can't deny what he brings to court offensively, once in a while. He can put up 30 in a night then put up 2 the next night. My biggest issue with him is if he isn't scoring he brings nothing what-so-ever to the team. He doesn't rebound, pass or play D well at all. He is usually the 6th man off the bench but would be a 10th on most other teams.

Charlie Bell: F. I would rather see Lin or Law get playing time over him and that is a terrible thing to say about anyone. Can't wait to get rid of his contract.

Vladimir Radmanovic: C. He could be 100 times worse. I was expecting him to be terrible but instead he has been serviceable in situations. In fact he has come in down right handy at times. As of late my opinion of him gets better and better.He has started hitting more outside shots and seems to be improving his rebounding. With that said he should be some teams 9th man not our 7th. I will enjoy getting rid of his contract as well.

Brandan Wright: F. I thought this guy was going to be good. Wright has been terrible. With his long arms he should be a much better rebounder and shotblocker. He has shown flashes at times that he has talent but they are few and far between. Combine that with how often injured he is and that equals him leaving the Warriors. I wish him well but that has turned out to be a wasted draft pick. One of many, sigh.

Ekpe Udoh: C. At times I like what I see. When given minutes he seems to have some ability. I like his ability to block shots and have been surprised at some of his offensive moves. This guy needs to get more minutes and see how he develops. Could end up being a very good bench player for the Warriors.

Louis Amundson: C+. Missed a lot of the season due to injuries and is currently injured again. But he has shown great energy off the bench. He also has shown he can be solid on the glass, which is something this team needs badly. Good bench player. Need him to stay healthy. That seems to be an issue with Warriors players.

Dan Gadzuric: D. He is bad but he has had random good games here and there. He falls into that thank goodness his contract his off the books next year.

Overall I say this is one of the worst benches in the NBA.

Coach

Keith Smart: D. Not much to work with but I feel he could do better. He is terrible at utilizing his terrible bench. He seems to put the wrong guy in at the wrong time too often. The way this team plays D tells me that like Nelson he doesn't practice it enough or he isn't getting his point across. Either way I am not a fan.