The Warriors: Get a Move on Already
What's the plan?
The War-bloons have basically been treading water for the last couple of months, and like a small-time sucker playing conservative bets at the $5 blackjack tables in Reno, the house odds are starting to take their toll. Yet as their won-loss record sinks further into the red and the playoff dream shrivels up like Adonal Foyle's points per game average, Head Veep Chris Mullett can only watch as opportunities like the NBA trading deadline slip past like Brad Miller blowing by Troy Murphy unabated to the hoop.
All season, Mullethead has been unwilling or unable to make a deal to improve this team. When he did dip his toe into the trade waters, it was only to bumble around the fringes of the Ron Artest trade like George Bush trying to find his way out of a Chinese paper bag, coming away with nothing except increased team disharmony.
On Thursday the trading deadline passed without the team making any move to get better. Tuesday's debacle at the hands of the Sacramento Queens put the War-droops back in familiar territory in the Pacific Division.The number eight playoff position is three and one-half games off and pulling away. After Saturday's loss to the Spurs, they find themselves seven games under .500.
Other teams made moves, why couldn't the War-flakes address at least one of their issues. There weren't even any interesting rumors or discussions involving the War-blahs.
Has War-bleeps management conceded the season? Are they working on next year's plan? Once again we ask, what is the team's plan for the future? What is their plan for building a playoff team, let alone a championship team? If Mullinitover is having trouble figuring out the deals, there are plenty of helpful tools out there for an in-over-his-head GM, including ESPN's Trade Machine and the RealGM Trade Checker.
Obviously, Mullichokes and his front office crew have vision up the butt, but we've come up with three moves that could make this squad a contendah right now.
Jason Richardson for Ray Allen. With a sharpshooter like Allen to complement, not duplicate the Baron's style, the War-clogs can really stretch opposing defenses and give the flying B even more room to maneuver. Richardson does put up numbers, but so did Antawn Jamison, so does Troy Murphy. Jason is too inconsistent to be the go-to guy, even when he does score big, as he did Friday night against Houston when he rolled in 39.
Our point is not to rip Jason, he's a solid guy and a productive player, but winning teams are about more than numbers, they are about results. Sadly, Jason doesn't get results and Baron does. The War-limps don't need two high-scoring, slashing, driving guards in the backcourt. They need Baron and somebody to complement Baron. Richardson's points are redundant and counterproductive. They need a pure outside shooter like a Ray Allen or a defensive stopper like Raja Bell. Jason Richardson is an All-Star player, a two-time slam dunk champion, and he's only 25. The kid has definite market value. It's time the War-bucks leveraged this asset for their future.
Murphy, Foyle, and Chris Taft, and however many draft picks it takes to pry Kevin Garnett away from Minnesota. The Timberfools are going nowhere fast and neither are the War-crimps unless they get a legitimate, veteran frontcourt player. Garnett wants out, we want him. Why waste even one second of time fooling around with Ron Artest when KG was sitting right there for the taking. KG is a legitimate, veteran, two-way, All-star power forward, a dominating force on the blocks who can D up on the big boys of the league but still pick up 15 and 10 a night. Murphy has the numbers, but they're hollow. This team doesn't win with Murphy and doesn't miss him when he's not in. Like Richardson, Murphy's numbers could be very attractive to a team like the Timberfools who are also out there running around without a plan.
Ditch Mike Montgomery. His ridiculously conservative lineups and unimaginative substitution patterns in the first half of the season cost the War-neeps valuable gelling time. Instead of working everybody into the flow of the season, Monty stayed safely within the box, and gave massive minutes to the team's three contract loads. He has never commanded the absolute respect of this team and does not appear to have the killer instinct of winning coaches like Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich, and Larry Brown. Can Monty now and give War-blech assistants Mario Elie or Keith Smart a pull at the reins for the rest of the season. Monty is a lame duck. Start the 2006-2007 season now.
If the War-bombs make these three moves it will give them a starting five of Andres Biedrins C, Garnett PF, Mikeal Pietrus SF, Allen SG, and Davis PG, with Ike Diogu, Derek Fisher, Mike Dunleavy, and Monta Ellis as the key reserves off the bench, and led by fiery Elie or cool and collected Smart. Now that's a team with some future upside.
Of course, in the world of professional agentry and collective bargaining agreements, nothing is ever easy. Doesn't matter. Where there's a will, there's a way. Deferred contracts, signing bonuses, bundles of conditional draft picks, real estate in Pacific Heights, there is a way. Whether its on the hardwood or in the executive washroom, the great ones find a way to get it done.
Unfortunately, with the trading deadline now in the rear view mirror, it looks like the War-flails' next chance to improve the team will be this May when they take their Helen Thomas memorial chair at the NBA draft lottery. In the meantime, we can only hope that ole Flat Top is groovin' up slowly on next year's plan for success.
