The Warriors: Time to Look Beyond the Usual Suspects
There's been a lot of bitching about War-flops coach Mike Montgomery lately, and we've certainly been a voice in that chorus. One of our main beefs is that the guy just doesn't seem to have much imagination, especially when it comes to lineups. Look what Jerry Sloan has done with Kirilenko, Okur, and the rest of that group of castoffs in Utah, and imagine what he could do with the War-blues roster.
One major problem is that Monty only feels comfortable going about seven to eight guys deep, so when he does reach down for Monta Ellis or Chris Taft, it is only for isolated, disjointed minutes. Same with Andris Biedrins and, until recently, Diogu. What's the game plan Monty? What's the rhyme or reason to your insistence on giving huge minutes to Foyle and Dunleavy?
It's time to try out different combinations and schemes.
Playing Chris Taft in only five games since Thanksgiving doesn't do anybody any good. You're telling us there aren't some minutes available for a 6' 10", 260 guy with good strength and instincts?
And 15 months later, everybody is still wondering what we've got in Biedrins. Give him minutes. It's time to see what this guy can bring. A recent online survey showed that War-rut fans think the most important building block not yet signed long term is Biedrins.
By SFist the Truthmaker, contributing
Zarko is getting some PT, but we've seen no D or toughness from the big Euro, a former first round draft pick of the Suns that the Wah-hoos picked up in a meaningless trade last year. If the Wah-pahs make any trade this season, it should include Zarko. This team needs defense and toughness and when we look into The Count's eyes, we're not seeing Ben Wallace in there.
Here's the lineup that we think gives the War-blings their best chance to succeed:
PG Davis
SG Richardson
SF Pietrus
PF Diogu
C Foyle (as much as it pains us)
And here's some ideas for getting more out of the roster.
- Play Diogu at freakin' power forward, not center. The only reason Monty isn't playing him at PF is that it's Murphy's spot. Time to rethink the dominant paradigm Monty. Monty says there were "mixed results" from starting Diogu for nine straight games at center before reverting back to Foyle. Flash to Monty, center is not the right position for Diogu; try power forward.
- Bring Murphy in as a designated shooter when the team needs some points. Defensively, he's just an overgrown Steve Kerr anyway.
- Split time evenly between Foyle and Biedrins at center, and start running some actual plays for Biedrins. Just having him out there for a couple of random minutes with no real role is never going to flesh out his real potential. Yes, Biedrins is undersized for an NBA center, but so is Foyle. How long are we going to sit on Biedrins waiting for him to magically develop his game while getting only four minutes a game a couple of times of week?
- Use Dunleavy as a sub for SG or SF behind Richardson and Pietrus, and don't use him as a ball handler--that's what guards are for.
- Get Monta Ellis some PT. Widely recognized as an incredible athlete with great potential, Monty should get him minutes whenever and wherever possible. Try him as a shooting guard. Try a three-guard rotation every once in while with Monta in there. Do something to get him in the game.
- Encourage Biedrins, Taft, and Zarko to rack up five fouls every game by banging down low and getting physical with the other team's bigs. We need some toughness. When this team is getting worked over in the paint and on the blocks, why is Monty leaving 15 fouls on the table? Against the Lakers last Saturday, BDiddly had a triple double, JRich blew up for 37 points, and the War-droops still lost. NBA whipping boy Kwame Brown torched the War-limps frontcourt for 18 and 12. Ouch. The backcourt can only do so much, and if Mullinicks isn't going to trade for help, then Monty needs to be a lot more imaginative in using the players he has.
Should Monty go? That's a tough question. On the one hand, he deserves at least a couple of years to try to figure things out, and he is somewhat hampered by an inexperienced and weak GM and a culture of losing. On the other hand, the team appears to be getting worse over the past month or so, playing horrible defense and displaying a disorganized, undisciplined offensive strategy that can best be described as "just keep shooting the three." Monty is feeling the heat, but he's determined to stay the course, and in this country, we all know where course-staying can get you.
Some Monty supporters argue that there are no better coaches out there to be had. We disagree. In fact, we've always wondered why Keith Smart didn't get a chance to lead this team two years when Monty was hired. Smart has paid his dues in the CBA and sooner or later he'll get his chance in the NBA. And what about Mario Elie? He knows what it takes to win championships and has the kind of gritty, hard-nosed mentality that helps make champions. Why couldn't he bring that toughness and determination to the War-dribbles?
When Mullinitover finally decides to pull the trigger on a trade, it should include Dunleavy, Zarko, and Murphy, especially now that Dunlivit is starting to heat up and might actually have somebody interested in taking on his ridiculous salary. In return, the War-winks need to get a ferocious defender who can play SF or SG and an experienced big body to play the post. Rather than Mully's ill-conceived toe-dipping into the Ron Artest pool, he should have been busting his ass to make every Warriors fan's dream come true by working a deal to bring Kevin Garnett to Oakland.
So let's kick start some dialogue here. Give us your starting five, your best blockbuster trade (check out the trade checker site just to see if your wildest fantasies are even remotely possible given the NBA's Byzantine contract considerations), your thoughts on whether Monty should stay or go, and who should replace him if he is cut loose.