The Lakers Make Ugly Beautiful In Game 1

Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals wasn't a beautiful game by any means. If watching Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley go at it in the 1993 NBA Finals was Halle Berry, the first game of the 2010 version of Lakers vs. Celtics was Clint Howard.

The referees determined from the start (maybe they had a summit like LeBron and Dwyane?) that they were going to call the game closely, and probably a bit too closely at that. From the first backslide takedown by Ron Artest on Paul Pierce that was whistled for a double technical foul, it felt like the referees wanted to make sure both teams knew that they weren't going to allow much of the rough stuff, or at least allow the teams to get away with it. And that was to Boston's detriment.

Going into this series, I thought the Celtics had to have a few things fall correctly for them if they were going to win. Firstly, Rajon Rondo had to play out of his mind. Rondo vs. Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar is the only place on the basketball court that the Celtics have a real, surefire advantage. In my opinion, Rondo can't just have solid games. They have to be dominating. Secondly, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett can't be as inconsistent as they have been so far in the playoffs. And the Celtics had to play a physical style to test Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom and try to take Ron Artest out of his game.

None of those things happened.

Rondo looked good early on, but he wasn't dominant in any way. He didn't shoot well, but more importantly, he didn't look like he wanted to take the game over like they needed him to. He made some quality passes, especially in transition, but Boston needed him to finish rather than hand off to a Kevin Garnett who had a hard time finishing or kick out to shooters who couldn't get their shot off freely because of the Lakers' defensive length.

While Pierce's numbers look decent (24 points and 9 rebounds), he wasn't effective. He missed all four of his three-point-shots and half of his points came at the free throw line, which is mostly because the referees called the game so closely. Ron Artest played him physically, frustrated him, and made him work hard on the other end as well. Pierce looked like a completely different player than the 2008 version who was the soul to Kevin Garnett's heart.

Garnett is an absolute shadow of himself. He showed energy early, but it wasn't enough. Pau Gasol blocked his patented turnaround jumper twice, and it seemed to deflate him. On one play in the fourth quarter that summed up his night, Rondo fed him what should've been an easy dunk, yet he didn't jump high enough and decided to lay it in and didn't even get it above the rim. And on the other side of the ball, Gasol had his way with him.

The Lakers were the more physical team in the end. Ray Allen was in foul trouble all night, and his replacement Tony Allen couldn't blink without getting whistled himself. But the Celtics can't solely blame the tempo of the game on the referees because it was called like that both ways. Boston was called for twenty eight fouls, while the Lakers had twenty six.

Within all that ugly, I thought the two Lakers' stars, Kobe and Paul, played beautifully. I found myself just watching Kobe, even when he didn't have the ball in his hands. Other than a couple games against Oklahoma City where he just seemed frustrated, this has been a terrific playoffs for him. He was able to get to the rim at will, slicing through the Celtics' defense. And no one even tried knocking him down.

After game one, I think anything having to do with Pau Gasol and the word soft should be disassociated. This was an opportunity for him to prove that the Gasol who was shoved around in 2008 is a different player and he did just that. Because of early foul trouble to both Andrew Bynam and Lamar Odom, Gasol ended up playing 47 out of the 48 minutes, scoring 23 points, gathering 14 rebounds, blocking 3 shots, and helped hold Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins to a combined 7 rebounds. He was the best big man on the court by far.

The Celtics are going to need to turn up the defensive intensity in game two and ask Rondo to come up huge. Or else, they're going to be in a big hole going back to Boston.

Is This LeBron's Last Stand In Cleveland?

After losing on Boston's court to end yet another season without winning a title, LeBron James' off-season is going to be the worst one of his career. Sure, he's going to be courted like he's the prettiest girl in class before prom as teams like the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers promise him the moon. But after another early exit from the playoffs, the hammer is going to come down on him.

After watching game four, the main thing that stuck with me is how little LeBron trusted his teammates to perform. Boston's defensive game plan was brilliant, but it's not like it was a creative strategy. When he had the ball, they attacked him before he could get a running start, and if he got by the first guy, they threw one of their 7 foot tall trees at him. And if he gave up that basketball, the defensive strategy worked. Anthony Parker, Mo Williams, and Antawn Jamison didn't seem like they wanted the ball. It was like they were comfortable watching LeBron do his thing.

In game six, LeBron probably should've forced his will a bit more, but it seemed like he fought it. He's more Magic than Michael or Larry. It's in his DNA to give up the basketball rather than take a bad shot. It's the single thing that separates him from Kobe Bryant. Kobe will take tough shots time and time again because his teammates depend on his scoring. And he has good offensive rebounders around him that will bat that ball around and give him another chance if it doesn't go in.

But for whatever reason, LeBron decided to trust teammates who weren't that trustworthy. While LeBron didn't shoot well at all (8-21), his teammates shot just as badly. The rest of the Cavs went a 20-52 shooting. Take away LeBron's 19 rebounds and 10 assists, and the rest of his teammates only pulled down 29 total rebounds and dished out 7 assists. You'd be hard pressed to give LeBron even a B- for his play and this is in a game in which he had a triple double (nearly a quadruple-double with 9 turnovers), but other than Mo Williams, no one else probably earns even a C.

If the Cavs as a team were shooting even half decently, then choosing to give up the ball so freely would've been the right move. But after watching his perimeter players brick shots badly time and time again, he needed to go to plan B. There didn't seem to be a plan B.

It's a similar style of defense that Orlando deployed last year when they knocked the Cavs out. Who was going to hit the big shots this year that they couldn't hit last year? And Danny Ferry's solution to that problem was to clog the middle more by signing Shaquille O'Neal and trading for Antawn Jamison. O'Neal is near the end of his rope and it sure showed in game 6. He had problem holding onto the basketball on offense and defensively, a bad kneed Kevin Garnett destroyed him early on.

As for Jamison, he's the kind of player who can fill up stat sheets but doesn't really mean a whole lot when it's all said and done. He's played on more teams who have won less than 20 games than he's played on teams who have played .500 basketball.

How much of that goes towards head coach Mike Brown? I'm sure some of it does, even though he wasn't the one bricking shots. As a fan wanting to see Cleveland make somewhat of a comeback, I was frustrated with Brown's substitutions, especially when they needed to get out and run. It's hard to run with either Shaq or Zydrunas Ilgauskus in the game. You end up playing four on five.

If you historically look at teams who win titles, they have one dominant star, and two secondary stars whose games compliment the star player. Until Pau Gasol came to the Lakers, the Lakers lacked the inside presence to balance out Kobe's game. Tim Duncan had Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, with Ginobli being a big game player. Even these same Celtics who beat the Cavs had Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce and now have Rajon Rondo.

Jamison, a broken down O'Neal, Mo Williams, and Anthony Parker obviously aren't the answer. If Danny Ferry has swung and missed while the Celtics and Lakers have been able to make trades that have delivered the right pieces to fit with their stars, does LeBron continue to trust the brass?

Many people think LeBron goes back to Cleveland simply because it's his home town. But with the way free agency can break out, why wouldn't he just wait and see where some of the pieces fall? If he wants to play with a big man, wouldn't it be a good idea to see where Amar'e goes? If he wants a Robin to his Batman, wouldn't it be smart to see where Joe Johnson goes?

I don't think he's necessarily packing his bags and leaving Cleveland. I think he's waiting to see what they can go out and get for him. And that's the smart move.

Stephen Curry's Rookie Year Was All That And Then Some

Warriors' rookie point guard Stephen Curry's career started amidst trade rumors.

If you remember back to draft day 2009, his name was being floated in trade talks with the Phoenix Suns in a deal for Amar'e Stoudemire. In fact, many draft prognosticators figured the Warriors drafted Curry for the Suns because they already had a diminutive guard in Monta Ellis.

But the Curry trade never happened. In the end, it was probably for the better. Amar'e's a soon to be a free agent and while he would've made the Warriors' better record-wise this year, they wouldn't have been able to sign him and we would've been back at square one. You may say that the Warriors always seem to be at square one. But I'd argue that point guards like Curry aren't a dime a dozen. He has a chance to be special. Win one for the Warriors?

If you look at Curry's year-long stats, they look good, but not superb. Over 17 points a game and nearly 6 assists is nothing to sniff at, but those numbers don't knock your socks off. If you dig deeper, you'll find that he had a gem of a season. To really see Curry's growth not only as a scorer, but also a distributor, you have to look at his monthly splits.

In his first full month in the league, he was averaging roughly 10 points a game and 5 and a half assists a game. Stephen Jackson was also on this team. Wow, that seems like eons ago.

In December, you notice an upward tick in his play, but in January he really seemed to blossom. In the month of January, he averaged just over 19 points a game and 5 assists, but his shooting was spectacular. He shot 48% from the field, 89% from the free throw stripe, and 49% from the three point line.

His next two months were very consistent, and then in April, he exploded again. Some of the explosion could be attributed to Monta Ellis being off the court just as much as he was on it, but I see it as a sign of maturity that was forced upon a young player. When Ellis was out, Curry was able to change his role of second banana into being the alpha dog on the court. In eight games in April, he averaged 26 points a game and over 8 assists along with 6 rebounds. Those numbers are near LeBron-like.

It's obvious that statistics don't tell the whole story and Curry does play in an uptempo system. But Steve Nash does too, and has been knocked similarly, but who wouldn't want Steve Nash on their team? Curry will probably never be a great defender unless he adds some size and just works doggedly at it. But he can shoot, distribute, and has a knack for making the right play at the right time. He didn't take care of the basketball as well as he should've, but you can also blame some of that on the uptempo system.

The Warriors have such an unpredictable air about them because of the current ownership situation and decisions about the team and coaching staff probably won't be made until the sale occurs. It's hard to gauge what they'll do with their team. But after this season, one thing is certain; Stephen Curry can play and this franchise has a better outlook because of him.

Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals Is Riveting

I grew up smack dab in the middle of the NBA's renaissance in the mid-80s. It was lead by two superstars who couldn't have been more culturally different, yet seemed to be created out of the same fiber.

When I started to watch basketball there were three big stars. Dr. J was in the latter stages of his career, but his posters were still everywhere. And then there were Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

I'll admit that I didn't like Larry Bird all that much growing up. He didn't smile. He was slow. He didn't dunk creatively. And his dang teams always won. My friends and I called him "Big Nose" Bird.

Magic on the other hand looked like he was having a great time on the court. He was cool, slick, and win or lose, you knew the basketball court was the number one place in his life.

They'd eventually cross paths time and time again throughout their careers and even after they stopped playing. When looking back at the history of the NBA, you'll see Johnson, Earvin and Bird, Larry side-by-side. They're like peanut butter and jelly.

I think that most of us born during that time frame will admit that the NBA is where it is today thanks in-part to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry. Though Michael Jordan came soon thereafter and transcended the sport even further, the league is not taken out of the tape delay doldrums of the early 80s without the two icons.

Ezra Edelman's HBO documentary Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals gets every feeling right. Going back to when I said that I didn't like Bird, those feelings were front and center at the start of the documentary. I was watching it with my kids and early on, and my youngest admitted to not liking Bird either without any prompting.

Edelman had the perfect story to tell. One player is affable and kind when the cameras are on. The other's hair is unkempt and he looks like a cold-blooded killer. Yet, when the camera is off, the roles change.

Magic Johnson admits that when he was able to be Earvin, he was the greatest guy in the world. But once he was Magic, he was intense, competitive, and he had an affinity for too many things, including sex. Larry admitted that being an unfriendly player on the court was calculated. He wanted every edge possible. He didn't like Magic, but he liked Magic being there. Magic was someone he could compare himself to night in and night out. He would wake up in the morning to read what Magic and Lakers did in the newspaper. He could use Magic to pump himself up and push himself to go higher.

(Check out the video clip I added in which they talk about their dislike for each other: http://www.fanbase.com/video/3884.)

When I was younger, I figured the Lakers and Celtics played each other in every NBA Finals of the 1980s. It was really only three, and for whatever reason, I remember them well. I remember Magic being one of the main reasons that the Celtics won the championship in the 1984-1985 championship. He made a few crucial errors that Larry and company capitalized on and swung the series to the Celts. He had to pay for it in the off-season. It was an off-season in which he says was the first time in his life he'd ever been depressed.

The Lakers would win the next two times they battled in the Finals, and Magic would gain the respect back by hitting a baby hook as the clock ran out to win one of those games. After being "Tragic" Johnson, he was officially Magic again.

Those three finals gave me some of the best back and forth basketball I'd ever seen. Jordan would one-up them both in the 90s and become the greatest ever. But he never had a foe. He never had a Larry or Magic to stand toe-to-toe with him. He didn't have a Frazier to his Ali. Larry and Magic had that.

Even though I love the basketball scenes and reflecting on how great the league was when I was a child, I think my favorite part of the documentary is when their careers were coming to an end. Larry's back injury caused an early end to his career. Watching him suffer made my back stiff as I was watching. I knew it was bad, but still, it was painful to watch.

And who doesn't remember where they were when Magic announced that he had acquired HIV? I was in study hall with the rest of the players on the varsity and JV basketball team and the varsity head coach came in and said what happened and that it's now more important than ever to practice safe sex. I think most of us were astonished, but you had to be cool in study hall and not too long there after, people were cracking jokes.

I'd heard an interview with Edelman and he said that he shot a lot of long interviews with people close to Larry Bird because he was afraid that he wouldn't get an interview with Larry himself. And even if he did get one, he didn't think it'd be good. But for whatever reason, Bird brought it. He looked uncomfortable, but he spoke from the heart and he didn't mince words. He didn't like Magic. Didn't want to hang out with him after games even if Magic thought they'd grown closer. Even today, their relationship is built on competition and respect. They don't see each other often because they don't have to.

The most touching part of the entire documentary was when Magic announced he had acquired HIV. His own buddy Isiah Thomas questioned his sexuality which frustrated him. Larry called him to let him know he'd be there for him and that it would be ok. Magic couldn't play anymore and that hurt Magic. But it also hurt Larry because he didn't have anyone's box score to read to push him any more.

Go out of your way to see the film. These men were the best basketball players on the face of the earth in the 80s and we as fans were so lucky they were connected like they were.

After the movie was over, my youngest son told me, "I didn't like Larry Bird at the beginning, but at the end, he was a good guy."

LeBron James - More Than A Game Movie Review

Last name ever
First name greatest
Like a sprained ankle boy
I ain't nothing to play with

Those are Drake's first lines in his single Forever from the More Than A Game soundtrack, but if LeBron James continues to dominate the NBA (and win a few championships), he may simply be known as "greatest ever".

More Than A Game is a documentary by filmmaker Kris Belman, whose IMDB page is very light on the resume. The film follows LeBron James and his friends, all from Akron, Ohio, as they rise from middle school hoop dynamos all the way until their high school graduation. James is one of the two main focuses, but his teammates and best friends Dru, Romeo, Sian, and Willie are there in full force as well.

The other main focus of the film is the father of Dru Joyce III, Dru Joyce II who was their AAU coach as youngsters and stepped into being their high school coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary after their original coach stepped down. His calming and teacher-like influence on the kids allows them to reach the apex of their potential.

From 2000 through 2003, St. Vincent-St. Mary won the state basketball championship three times, losing only in James' junior year. Even as a fourteen year old freshman, James was spectacular and simply looked and played like a skinnier version of his current self. It is amazing to see him grow up through the four years and improve his game, change his demeanor and really embrace his superstar status.

Hoops Dreams this is not. The idea wasn't to see the struggles of these five young men. It was to show their successes. It is a story that is almost written too perfectly if it weren't a true one.

There are two conflicts that send the team into confusion. One is with James and that's the one everyone remembers. How could James and his mother afford a Hummer? How could James afford all those shoes? But the other surrounds Sian who has to decide between possibly ruining their historic senior year run, or playing in a high school football All-Star game which would help him in the sport he loves best.

The best part of the documentary isn't necessarily the story. It's the footage that is used to back up the story. There is tons of footage of these five kids from middle school and up, and great footage of their senior year championship run, mostly because many of these games were shown on ESPN. By then, LeBron was already deemed as "The Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated and the most anticipated basketball player entering the NBA in years and years.

The early footage is of the hand held variety, but that helps the progression of the story. Early on, these kids aren't stars. Only their parents have footage of them. But by the end, ESPN is putting them on their network. It's quite the rise.

I did learn something about James from the film. When he came into the NBA straight out of high school, there was worry that by having a "posse", it could hurt him like it's hurt many players before. You keep friends around by paying for their living to simply hang out with you. If it could make MC Hammer broke, it could make LeBron James broke. But after watching this film, his "posse" is truly his family. He has a very close relationship with his mother, who raised him by herself, but his friends give him support and keep him secure. It's mentioned a few times in the film that because he didn't really have much family, he always wanted people around him. Those are his boys.

It's not a glorified "LeBron James is great piece" much like Spike Lee's Kobe Doin' Work was for Kobe Bryant. But you're not going to see deep into LeBron's psyche either. The story of five kids who grew up playing ball together and eventually became one of the greatest high school basketball teams of all-time is compelling enough.

Without Bias Is Really Good But It Leaves You With Mixed Emotions And More Questions

If you were a basketball fan in the mid-80s, you knew who Len Bias was. Len Bias had Michael Jordan's body type with James Worthy's aggressiveness and length. I'm really not overdoing the comparison. From everything we saw back then, those were the comparisons.

(If you don't believe that comparison, ESPN writer Bill Simmons, who has probably written more about Len Bias than anyone, gives the same comparison in his new book, The Book Of Basketball.

Here's what Simmons said:

You couldn't have drawn up a better young forward for that particular team (the Celtics), someone who played like a more physical Worthy, but with Jordan's athleticism, if that makes sense.

See, I'm not crazy.)

People loved to see him jump effortlessly above the rim, but he wasn't one dimensional. He had a great mid-range jump shot and since he could jump so high, no one was blocking his shot. He could play below the rim as well as he could play above it.

At Maryland he dominated the ACC and caught the eye of Boston Celtics' GM Red Auerbach. Because of a crazy trade involving the Seattle Supersonics and Gerald Henderson, the NBA Champion Boston Celtics, who won 67 games before beating the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals, held the rights to the number two pick of the 1986 draft.

The Cleveland Cavs held the first pick and took North Carolina center Brad Daughtery. That allowed Bias to fall into the Celtics' lap. Simmons thought it was the perfect fit. He would've come off the bench to spell both Bird and McHale at either forward spot and cut down both of their minutes. And Bird would've had a blast throwing him crazy alley-oops according to Simmons.

(By the way, that 1986 draft was just cursed. Daugherty would've probably been a Hall of Fame center, but only played eight years because of back injuries. Bias died. Chris Washburn was drafted third by the Warriors and he was burnt out on drugs by his second year in the league. William Bedford was picked sixth by the Suns and is still in jail today for drug related charges. Roy Tarpley was drafted seventh by the Mavericks and was kicked out of the NBA twice for drugs and alcohol. Even Scott Skiles had issues with drugs and alcohol. Cursed I tell you.)

Just two days after the biggest day of Bias' basketball career, he died from a heart attack brought upon by a cocaine binge. After watching Kirk Fraser's take on Bias in his ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Without Bias, I was left with mixed emotions. I was sad and angry, left wondering "what if", but also very happy that I watched it.

Len Bias died over 23 years ago. I was barely 10 years old. Yet, I remember nearly every detail about what happened. I remember that he died two days after the draft. I remember that he overdosed on cocaine. And I remember that he was supposed to be great. As much as I knew, Fraser's documentary provided me with many details that I didn't know.

I didn't know that Bias' parents had to go through nearly the same thing again four years later when his brother Jay was murdered. I didn't know that Larry Bird was so enamored with Bias that he was going to show up early to training camp with the rookies just because Bias was going to be there. I didn't know that Auerbach had his eye on Bias three years before they drafted him.

And yet, there are still things I would love to know more about.

Was Bias a drug addict or not? Head coach Lefty Driesell thought it was just a one time thing for Bias, while others mentioned in the documentary that the cocaine he and Brian Trimble scored was more pure than just "starter" coke.

Were Kevin McHale and Larry Bird truly ok with the Celtics drafting the next coming even though it meant their minutes would be cut and someone would eventually have to sit when Bias evolved? Someone (McHale) would've had to eventually be traded, or else accept a lesser role.

Did NBA experts think Bias had enough drive back then to be Michael Jordan's foil like we think today? Magic had Larry. Bill had Wilt. Who did MJ have? We know Bias had the talent, but was he as driven and focused enough as MJ?

Fraser interviews Bias' friends and family which gives a lot of credence into the story. It's one thing to have coaches and guys like Michael Wilbon, who covered the DC area at the time, but when you have Mr. and Mrs. Bias, his brother and sister, and teammates, you know the story is going to be as straight as possible.

One thing that amazed me was how stoic Mrs. Bias was. She felt that Len was going to be taken from her much earlier than he was. And she turned the losses of her two songs into positive work by becoming a spokesperson against drugs. I wonder how many lives she saved as a direct result of her losing two sons.

In no way could Fraser tell this entire story in just fifty five minutes. But he does a stellar job in getting as many interviews and stories into the documentary as possible. He tries to talk about the DC drug scene at the time, but doesn't have nearly enough time to do anything but dip his baby toe into it.

He also tries to discuss what happened to the Maryland program after the Bias ordeal, but again, there's not enough time. We know that Lefty Driesell was forced to quit by the program after Bias died. And though not discussed in the film, the program made the NCAA tournament in 1988 and didn't make the tournament again until 1994.

For the time given, Fraser's documentary gives you a great look at someone who had great promise and left the basketball world way too soon.

Len Bias photo added by Sarah - http://www.fanbase.com/member/sarah

Off-season For The 2009-2010 Warriors Was Definitely "Off"

After the end of last season, you would've thought that things couldn't get worse for the Golden State Warriors franchise. Think again.

Last season came on the heels of the 2007-2008 season in which the Warriors just missed the playoffs, being the first team who won at least 48 games in the regular season to not make the postseason. They would go on to lose Baron Davis, Mickael Pietrus, and Matt Barnes before the 2008-2009 season started. They'd then trade Al Harrington before the season was over. And let's not forget Monta Ellis and his moped accident which caused him to miss nearly the first half of the season.

In the mean time, decision maker Chris Mullin was stripped of his powers thanks to Don Nelson and team president Robert Rowell and Nelson's friend Larry Riley was given Mully's job. With Baron Davis gone, there were rumors that Mullin was trying to trade Stephen Jackson, thinking that without Davis, Jackson wasn't as valuable and not necessarily the one to step into Davis' leader role. But before Mullin could do anything, Rowell signed Jackson to a new contract, thus making Jackson nearly untradeable in a seller's market. This is soap opera level stuff right?

(I'm grouping a bunch of things I've read during the off-season and will link to the places I read at the bottom.)

All Don Nelson's children...

This year's off-season reads like a soap opera and if someone wants to make a movie about a dysfunctional basketball organization, this might be the team to follow.

According to some reports, Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis were told after last season that the Warriors would deliver them a big man in the off-season and that the team would make a rush towards the playoffs rather than become a rebuilding team. And on draft night, it looked like the Warriors had a chance to get that big man in Amar'e Stoudamire. Now I'm not sure he would've ever been happy coming here, but it seems that when Stephen Curry became available for the Warriors, any deal that would've made Phoenix happy for Stoudamire went out the window. Nellie didn't want to part with Curry.

Jackson supposedly became upset because the Warriors didn't get their big man like promised and that lead into a frustrating preseason where he gave up his team captaincy and was suspended for two games.

In preseason game against the Lakers, Jackson was guarding Kobe Bryant and Bryant was getting into his head. Bryant supposedly called him "Young Fella" which set Jackson off. Jackson had five fouls in the first half and was frustrated at both the replacement referees who were calling the game way too closely for his taste and at Nellie who left him in to accumulate the five fouls. After coming out of the game, Nellie tried to put his hand on Jackson's shoulder and Jackson pushed it off and told him not to touch him.

As the Warriors' world turns...

The Warriors did get a big man, just not the kind of big man who will lead them to the promise land. They signed veteran big man Mikki Moore. They also traded Jamal Crawford and in return landed former Warrior Speedy Claxton and Acie Law. No word on whether Mookie Blaylock, Vonteego Cummings, Bobby Sura, or Larry Hughes were available. Actually, I'm sure Hughes was available.

Marco Belinelli was traded in a multi-team trade for Devean George. And to top it off, young big man Brandan Wright was hurt again and will be out for a while.

They'll run out Jackson (until they can actually trade him), Ellis, Curry, Andris Biedrins, Corey "Bad Porn" (I'll let you look up why fans have been calling him that) Maggette, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Morrow, and CJ Watson. There's definitely talent on this team, but like usual, too heavy in guys who can get up and down the floor and not heavy enough in guys who can play defense, be physical, and score in the flow of the game when they can't run.

I know that we won't see this because it's just not Nellie's style, but I'd love to see Curry, Ellis, Morrow, Randolph, and Biedrins get a lot of playing time together, though not necessarily all at the same time. It would give the Warriors an idea if these guys can play with each other. Anthony Randolph needs to be looked at as the future and they should build the team around him. Who plays better with him between Curry and Ellis? Is Morrow a better player at the shooting guard than Ellis, or does Ellis' penetration style work better with someone like Randolph? They have to use this season to answer those questions and figure out a way to get something in return for Jackson. Do you get rid of him early so that his stench doesn't ruin the team from the outset, or do you allow him to play himself into being traded?

This upcoming season has the looks of another wasted year and a mid lottery level draft pick for next year. Wait, that's what always happens.

Photo of Stephen Jackson by http://fanbase.com/member/rachna
Photo of Anthony Randolph by http://fanbase.com/member/prakash

Places I read to put together the points for my article:
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/expertsarchive;_ylt=Ag4p9AyKI4OA1llh7PyThdfTjdIF?author=Adrian+Wojnarowski
http://48minutes.net
http://www.warriorsworld.net/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/warriors/