THE WARRIORS SHOULDN’T TRADE JASON RICHARDSON
10. Then Fox Sports would have to replace all those posters on BART.
9. Who would do battle with Kobe and embarrass Sacramento? Richardson has been the only guy able to go toe-to-toe with Kobe (at least for three quarters) and he owns Sacramento.
8. The Warriors would be hard pressed to find a better community guy.
7. J-Rich is just too cool a nickname to let go.
6. Who would make the playoff guarantee for next year at the season finale? Who would pay for an apology ad in the newspaper?
5. He’s going to have a lot to prove next year. Richardson is a prideful young man who thrives as the underdog. If he answers the bell, that could be a huge 2007-08. How silly would the Warriors look if he has that career season in another uniform?
4. Monta Ellis needs more time, and the Warriors can’t afford to wait. They need production now. Richardson can give steady production while Monta learns the ropes. Plus JR can push Monta, make sure he earns what he’s got coming.
3. They’ve got him at a good price for his production and talent level. The going rate for 20 points, six rebounds and five assists is about $12-$15M per year. The Warriors got him for $10M.
2. They can’t get good value for him because he’s been hurt and he’s perennially underrated. Chances are, nobody’s going to fork over too much considering the season he’s having. Though Warriors fans know different, Richardson’s seen around the league as a nice player who can lead a bad team in scoring. Most people feel like you can get that type of player in any draft or off any D-League team.
1. Can you say Mitch Richmond?