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Yesterday we got caught up on the Warriors' offseason moves; today we look at what those moves will mean for the 2007-2008 season and beyond (in 300 words or less).
There is no doubt that coach Don Nelson and his sidekick Chris Mullen have reshaped the Warriors, and the team now has a pretty strong pool of players from which Nellie can choose to implement his failed system of up-tempo small-ball.
Nellie's vision of a perfect rebounding lineup. D'uh-oh. Photo from healingdaily.com.
Ho-ho-hold on a minute SFist, you say. What do you mean failed system? The Warriors surprised everybody last year by making a late season run, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, and shocking the presumptive favorite to win it all and number one seed Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. "How the hell is that a failed system," you ask.
All good points SFist readers, but remind us again, who won the NBA Finals? Who played in the NBA Finals? Who played in the Western Conference Finals? Who got waxed by a larger, more fundamentally sound Utah Jazz in the second round (and again last night)? Nellie's run-and-gun Warriors that's who.
And by all accounts, it's going to be more wacky Don Nelson self-inflicted small ball rather than less. Despite adding some height to the lineup with the recall of Patrick O'Bryant from the NBA D-League and the addition of Austin Croshere and Kosta Perovic to help out last year's front court surprise Andris Biedrins, last night Nellie started 6'6" Mickael Pietrus at freaking power forward for crying out loud. No, no, no, no, no. Last year, the Warriors snagged 410 less ribbies than their opponents -- by far the worst in the league. In the playoffs, they averaged 10.4 less rebounds per game than their opponents. More of the same last night, with the Jazz grabbing 56 boards to the Warriors 37. The Dubs grabbed only seven offensive rebounds. When you shoot 26.1 percent from three-point land and only get seven offensive rips, you're going to have problems.
We've been over this many, many, many times since the Warriors rehired Nelson in August 2006. Up-tempo small ball may be exciting, it may enable a mediocre team to improve to playoff caliber, but it will never, EVER, never-ever-ever win a championship. Just ask the Phoenix Suns about that. The Suns have the finest roster one could ever assemble for an up-tempo team, certainly the best since the Showtime Lakers. They have a two-time MVP running the offense. They have Shawn Marion ripping 17.5 and 9.8 a game. They're loaded. But not only haven't they won a championship with their up-tempo style, they haven't even made the NBA finals in four years. Last year they didn't even make it to the Western Conference finals. You know who did? The fundamentally sound, physcially balanced Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs. Huh. Coincidence? Nope, just reality.
Tomorrow we look at how the Warriors stack up against the Western Conference.
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