Welcome to the Front Row: The Warriors Season Preview
For perennial doormats like the Chicago Blackhawks, snakebit franchises like the Arizona Cardinals, and irrelevant standings stuffers like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, hope springs eternal in the preseason.
So it is, yet again, with this year's East Bay ballers. For about the fifth year in a row, the Warriors' marketing department is trying to hype us on the upcoming season as one of promise and playoffs. To quote Jim Mora, "Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs?"
This year's predictable hype coupled with last's year typical late-season glimpse of mediocrity have increased Warriors season ticket sales more than any other NBA team (+3,000 this year over last), and some Warriors fans are already starting to lose their heads. It's one thing to hope that Baron Davis and Jason Richardson can help the Warriors lurch toward .500, but anyone who thinks that Adonal Foyle is going to step up and suddenly become an inside presence needs to just let go and back away from the drugs for a couple of months.
There is a chance this team could be entertaining, if not decent, but decent is a long way from good, let alone the playoffs. After so many years, of baaaaad teams, Warriors fans have Dubya'ed down their expectations so far that they are willing to shell out NBA coin in hopes of seeing just a watchable team, which, sadly, would be a major upgrade over the last 11 playoff-barren seasons in the NBA wilderness.
SFist Chris, Contributing
Tempered optimism mostly springs from last year's acquisition of electric point guard Baron Davis. After Davis joined the team in February, the Warriors went 18-10, including a 14-4 finishing run, but that was long after they had excused themselves from the crucible of playoff contention and RSVP'ed for their annual trip to the NBA draft lottery.
The burden of watchability will fall squarely on the Warriors backcourt of Davis and shooting guard Jason Richardson, but it's the guys you've never heard of that will be the key to the Warriors' success this season. Look for Andris Biedrins to emerge as this year's Andrei Kirilenko and, if number one draft pick Ike Diogu can shake off the curse of Chris Webber and recover from a preseason hand injury, he and Biedrins could provide some much-needed spark and rebounding in the frontcourt. Mikeal Pietrus should help lend a hint of defensive toughness to a pretty soft Warriors' D.
In fact, Coach Mike Montgomery, an outstanding college coach at Stanford, might have a pretty nice mix of players for his coaching style. With relatively blank slates like Diogu, Chris Taft, high school phenom Monta Ellis, Pietrus, and Zarko Cabarkapa, solid team players Foyle, Murphy, and Dunleavy, and stars Davis and Richardson, Montgomery has a more coachable team than just about any other team in the league. One problem though is that Derek Fisher is the only one on this team that has any big-game experience at all. This team doesn't know how to win, and won't win until they get some veteran on-court leadership from proven winners. Note to Chris Mullin, it's called free agency.
Some experts are picking the Warriors to be this year's dark horse playoff Cinderella, but most aren't sold on the prospect. It's possible. Fact is, this team is only one pulled Baron Davis hamstring away from another dismal season battling the Clippers for last place in the Western Division and they may not make the playoffs, but the Warriors have the horses to play an exciting up-tempo offense and they might even be able to find a little defensive toughness somewhere down along the bench. Look for this team to play at or close to .500 for most of the season before succumbing to the unfamiliar pressure of playing meaningful late-season games and falling back into their seat at the NBA Draft Lottery.
Hey, if they don't make the playoffs, maybe they can handle your wedding.