We should take notes.

Anthony, J.R. Smith, C. Billups is not a bad trio…….the Dhantay Jones loss to Indiana may hurt a little bit…..he was a pretty dependable scorer for them.

Jefferson, Ginobili, Duncan and Parker……..just about as good as they come.

Roy, Aldridge, Outlaw and Hinrich (if the deal happens)………nothing to scoff at. Hinrich is a substantial upgrade from Steve Blake.

Paul, West……….nothing to take lightly.

Williams, Millsap, Okur, T. Thomas (if the deal happens)….with a HOF, established coach is pretty tough as well.

T-Mac, Scola, Ariza, Brooks……..too bad no Ming…I love his game……..but still, another successful year in the making for Houston.

And of course, the creme de la creme of all teams and organizations in the history of mankind, my beloved Los Angeles Lakers, checking in with the following:

# 24
Gasol
Odom (if he stays, probably will)
Artest

Doesn’t get any better than that anywhere in the league, East or West…….

There are your 8 playoff teams in 2009-2010, in no order, here are my predictions as far as order:

1. Lakers
2. San Antonio
3. Dallas
4. Denver
5. Houston
6. Portland
7. Utah
8. New Orleans

I think Dallas has a very tough group now, you throw in JJ Barrea’s tough play over the last few years and he is a perfect uptempo compliment to Kidd’s, now 1/2 court game.

San Antonio should be back up there.

I look for Denver to drop a little bit because I think that they have lost a little bit with the D. Jones loss……I think he was more valuable to their Offense than they think. If J.R. Smith nosedives and struggles, there is really no other 2 to step up for them. But Carmello and Chauncey are both All-Stars and should be able to make up the difference.

But I like San Antonio and Dallas to follow L.A. this year. I look for that Southwest Division to be better than the Northwest division this year……..

Not much room up there for our Golden State Warriors.

We have our work cut out for us.

1. You incorrectly claim Goose is a poor defender — when he’s about the ONLY guy on this team that does defend — and then you excuse Amare’s FAR WORSE defense (he’s no better in the playoffs than at any other time; if you’d watched this year, you’d know that) as the privilege of the talented “superstar”. (Funny that the other stars you name — Kobe, DWade, and of course, LBJ — are ALL good defenders; Amare is one of the worst, and he has no clue about positioning — which you should know, assuming you watch anything other than ESPN highlights.) BTW, Ronny’s a better shot blocker; not a better defender — altho his positioning was much improved by season’s end. The point? Goose and Ronny are about a perfect tandem for us at the five, and you’d screw the pooch to get an over-rated guy who is going downhill fast, is subject to injury (I didn’t even mention the detached retina, for which the fool doesn’t even wear protective lenses), doesn’t get along with coaches, and wants neither to be a Warrior nor play the five. You’re living in cloud-cuckoo-land.

2. We are NOT a fast team as long as Jack and Maggette are major components; we’re nowhere near as fast as we were in We Believe (when we substituted freely). But, with either AR or BW in the game we DO play a lot faster. (And, of course, the game’s a LOT more fun to watch.) Monta’s fast, as is KA, Goose, and I expect Curry’s passing ability will also enhance our speed. And if our idiot coach — see below — had a sense of how to rotate, we’d be playing 9-10 guys, moving ‘em in and out (like Smart did at season’s end — and he only had seven), and be able to run ALL THE GAME. Won’t happen with Amare, who goes fast only in very limited spurts — and takes entire quarters off (if you’ve paid any attention). And if Amare plays where he insists — at the four — where does that leave AR?

3. I said Amare’s “poison” in one sense only, so pay attention: he doesn’t get along with his coaches — again, something the real superstars do. (By “real,” I mean the winners, not the whiners.) You foolishly characterize Nelson as “one of the best coaches in NBA history” (even tho his past two years have been about the worst in NBA history) when he can’t even communicate with his players, let alone teach them. (Oh, and he doesn’t coach defense, either — but you seem to love the “no defense” approach of guaranteed losers.) What DO you think would happen when the Fat Man tells Amare he’s playing the five? Don’t just ignore this: Address the point, if you can. Do you really want Webber II?

4. As to microfracture surgery — you really think this guy’s as good as new? (You ducked the successful microfracture guys point, too, didn’t you? Third year’s the charm. Why do you think Phoenix wants to get rid of this “superstar” now?) Why do his RBs keep declining? Does eight really do it for you? What if it turns to six or seven? And when that knee — or the other one — goes, it’s over for Amare (if the eye doesn’t get him first). BTW, I didn’t call him a “poor” rebounder, I characterized him as mediocre: the 60th best in the league (he’s NEVER averaged 10) — and getting worse and worse.

5. If Amare’s such an inside force, why is he playing away from the basket so much now? Hmmmm? Is THAT what you want from this guy at the five? Or do you want him to take time from AR at the four? Where DOES he play in YOUR mind?

6. Saying this guy’s worth $95MM by just assuming his greatness is pure lunacy (and horrible “reasoning”; where’s Spock when you need him?). If Amare’s so great, why is Kerr trying like Hell to dump him? If he’s so great, why are the Warriors — and a handful of “highlight watching” Oracle-type fans — the only ones who appear to really want him at such a horrible cost? Is there ANYONE else who wants to pay so much for this guy? Or is this just the next Maggette-type deal, where we outbid ourselves even tho no one else is in the game? Perfect logic there.

7. I love the Nelson butt-kissers: they’re all living off the 80s and 90s — because this guy’s been death since the first Warrior fiasco 15 years ago. (If you’re old enough, you know that for 15-20 years, the Fat Man actually WAS a good defensive coach, but he gave that half of the game up long, long ago.) Does he coach? Does he teach? Does he communicate? And is there a worse fourth quarter coach in the NBA — at least on the basis of last year’s play, when he kept doing the same stupid things over and over, regularly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? Do you really love a coach that won’t defend the in bounds pass? Or keeps Jamal in and on the opposition’s best shooter at the end? The guy’s a fat, drunken travesty of a coach — and his butt-lickers still think he walks on water. Truly weird. Because no one can articulate anything positive Nelson did as a coach ALL last year. Anything. (And cutting and running out on the team in the last few weeks — tho it made for better BBall because we finally got to see what the Anthony’s could do — doesn’t count.)

8. Finally, would you REALLY have a problem if we (1) kept the guys we have now — except for Jack and Maggette (we can blame Rowell for those lunacies) — (2) got a real coach (pick almost any college coach in the Big East for starters — they play defense, as do ALL good teams), and (3) watched these guys grow together?

That’s my hope — and the Warriors’ REAL hope, too, at least in a world of basketball sanity.

(P.S. Tho it wasn’t your point, I never said Goose was as good as Bill Russell. In responding to your major criticism of AB — that he didn’t have a face-up shot — I simply noted that the biggest winner, and perhaps the best five of all time (if winning’s the measure) lacked any face-up shot as well.

But, I will ask you this: What real NBA five would you rather have than the 23-year old Goose, other than Dwight Howard? I’d love to see your list — and explanations.)

Wow. You’re evaluation of Biedrins is terrible. You have no objectivity whatsoever.

I am a warriors fan, and I love the guys we have on this team, including AB. However, arguing that he is more valuable to the Warriors or any other team than Amar’e Stoudemire is ridiculous.

First of all, Andris is fast, he does rebound well, and he has great hands. He has nice touch around the rim.

He DOES NOT defend well at all. He fouls almost every time he’s guarding the post. Fouling is not defense. He is too thin, and gets pushed around. His idea of low post defense is putting his arms straight up and backing away from his opponent, hoping NOT to commit a foul, which he usually does anyway.

Turiaf is the Warriors only consistent low-post defender.

Also, Biedrins DOES NOT play “above the rim”. He scores with flip shots and lay-ups. He does not get up high and dunk the ball with authority. He’s a finesse big, not an above the rim, power player.

Amar’e is not “poison”. He’s a premier big man in the NBA who is sometimes demanding. That’s how star players often are. Kobe is that way. LaBron is that way. Dwane Wade is that way. Star players are difficult. If you want a star on your squad, you deal with that. Period. D’Antoni doesn’t want Amar’e because he’s trying to lower payroll to make a run at LaBron in 2010, not because he didn’t enjoy having Amar’e on his team. Amar’e made D’Antoni teams relevant, along with Steve Nash.

You say that Amar’e doesn’t “defend at all”.. well, lets evaluate that.

First, NBA players play far less defense during the early regular season than they do when the games count more toward the end of the season or the playoffs. That’s true for ALL players, even guys like Kevin Garnett.

Second, players tend to defend less on a fast paced, transition team like the Warriors / Suns, because playing hard D is very taxing physically, and when you’re constantly running to keep up with the offense, Bigs tend to slack on D. That’s part of playing fast paced.

The key is having a player who is ABLE to defend. In playoff basketball, defense is necessary. Amar’e is ABLE to defend, he’s big enough to stand his ground inside, and he is an aggressive, physical player. Biedrins is NOT ABLE to defend due to his slight build and passive demeanor. He lacks footwork and knowledge of proper defensive technique.

As for rebounding; Amar’e is not as good as AB, no doubt about that. But, Amar’e IS an effective rebounder, and has had several big, 20 reb games in his career. If his role on the W’s would require more rebounding, then he will rebound more. He’s not a poor rebounder by ANYONE’S standard, (except maybe yours).

You say that Amar’e is “no longer the force he was before his surgeries”.. that’s just dumb. If you look at his numbers, you’ll see that you’re wrong, (again). He was perhaps the most dominant offensive force in the NBA in 2007-08, AFTER the micro-fracture surgery. He averaged 25 pts and 9 rebs, the second highest totals in his career. He played 79 games. The year before, after the surgery, he played all 82. Do your homework.

Ya, he would cost 95 mil, to have him for five years. Thats how much star players cost. Especially star big men. We tried to pay Elton Brand 100 mil last year, and he got hurt and missed the entire season. Amar’e is WAY better than Elton Brand. Amar’e is one of the top 5 big men in the NBA. He’s worth the money.

JSL, I’m not surprised you’re on the wrong side of this issue, you’re calling Don Nelson the “Fat Man”, and claiming that Wright and Belinelli would be better if he weren’t the coach. Well, the “Fat Man” is one of the best coaches in NBA history, and he’s won more games with less talent than any other coach. He’s the only good coach the Warriors have had in the past 20 years. As for Belinelli and Wright, I think they can be productive NBA players, but not for the Warriors. The W’s have Randolph and Morrow, who are each better versions of BWright and Belinelli, respectively. We don’t need em, thats why they don’t play.

JSL, lets all just thank GOD you’re not making meaningful decisions for the Warriors.

ECJ

I mean I love AB like everyone else but can anyone say that he is even in the top 25 players in the league currently? No, maybe on the bottom half of the top 50 whereas AMARE is a top 25 player when healthy. Like a lot of people I have gone back and forth in liking the deal but at this point the less we can give up to get Amare the better. Plus if everything that is coming thru the wire is true it just looks like if no deal is made Amare is gonna stay b/c if anything it will give PHX cap relief next year and he just doesn’t want to play here.

So I’m just saying don’t compare Bruss to AB b/c it is not an accurate comparison and AB doesn’t even look like he will be able to develop at least a 12-15 footer. Which limits his offensive game immensely b/c any 5 can always stay home to guard him.

2nd I just think comparing BW to Alridge is also not a fair comparison. I mean other than the obvious 35-40 lbs that Aldridge has on BW, they are not the same player. The only reason I say that is b/c Aldridge can bang down low and BW can’t. That would be my only thing about the comparison b/c Alrdige won’t get his shoulder dislocated going for a block on most 4 and 5′s. Obviously anyone can jam on someone and hurt em but b/c of BW’s build he is more likely to get hurt than LAldridge. On O, BW has got some sweet moves and can expand them but I think we can all agree that b/c of lack of playing time he is farther behind then where he should be. Plus just factor in heart, tenacity, and toughness and I think BW is just too nice and just doesn’t seem to have some of those qualities which I think Aldridge has been able to display so far.

In the end, I think the Dubs just aren’t going to be able to lure any top-flight FA’s to play here until some FO movement takes place. So ultimately we will get to watch the starting line-up that we have now next year and will then see who was right or wrong in terms of development of certain players and how good this team ends up being. Just sucks cuz I would like to see a big move w/out getting rid of some players but u gotta give something to get something. I just hope that Riley can use the leverage that they have against the suns to the dubs advantage.

He moves as well without the ball as any other Center in the league and “dives” to the basket off the pick and roll as well as any “big” in the league …….he plays a disciplined pick and roll game with backcourt players and can do it consistently all game long…….just a simple pick and roll play, 7 times a game between Monta and Andris, can net you 14 points right there.

He does have fantastic hands, he’s a quick leaper and he’s fast…….and one of the best rebounders in the NBA…….no questions asked……I love AB.

You’re also right about Wright and Marco…..if you guys have read my previous posts you guys all know that I had high hopes for these 2.

BW is our best low-post scorer, at his best, he is LaMarcus Aldridge, he can even hit that 12 footer that LaMarcus hits…..and he’s an excellent free throw shooter….like LaMarcus. Pretty disciplined shot blocker as well…………instead of wildly leaping in the air like AR…….Wright actually times his jump and picks and chooses his spots…….thus, he gets in less foul trouble than AR.

Marco is an offensive facilitator,….when given the playing time and when he’s confident and secure with the PT he’ll be receiving……..he can distribute the ball and run the offense, hit open perimeter shots, get to the basket himself and he has International experience, which makes him a disciplined player and a good free throw shooter.

That’s why I’m so torn…….you’re right…….Don Nelson is just as big a problem as ownership………we’re just beating a dead horse…..we all know what the problems are…………it’s a tough decision to make regarding personnel moves because we want to be patient with our young core…….yet we still want to be a winning franchise.

I will say this, …….teams like Portland did not take as much time as we have in building a winning organzation…..they started drafting players like Roy and Aldridge right around the same time we were drafting players like Marco, AB, Monta and the J-Rich for Wright deal………..

Look at where Portland is and look at where we are…….

Can we safely say that Aldridge, Roy and Outlaw are better than Ellis, Biedrins, Wright , Belinelli and Randolph?……….Yes, I think we can.

1. If all you see in Goose is a “good player,” I’m wondering what you’ve been watching. The kid’s fast, got great hands, plays well above the basket, is the ONLY Warrior who plays consistent low post D, has developed a nice, right-handed up-and-under, is a terrific rebounder, outlets with the best of ‘em, plays terrific position — even moving other guys around, and is only 23 years old. He lacks a face-up shot — something Bill Russell never had either, yet he turned out pretty well and didn’t even play in the NBA till he was about AB’s age.

2. Amare’s poison — and has never worked well with any NBA coach, including the easy-going D’Antoni, who has no interest in trading for him. Can you imagine the fireworks when Nelson tells him to play the five? Or weren’t you around when he tried that with CWebb in ’94?

3. Amare neither defends (at all) nor rebounds with much effect: he ranks 60th — yes, 60th — in the league on a 40 minute basis. That means there’re on average two guys on every NBA team who rebound better. (His rebound totals decline almost every year, too.)

4. While Amare’s a low-post presence on O, he’s no longer the force he was before his surgeries. But you’ll get a lot of face up shots from the five with him, which seems to be your big goal here.

5. Both of Amare’s knees are bad — and one has had microfracture surgery. Can you name one NBAS player who was as good three years after that surgery? Kidd’s about as close as you get — and he’s not what he once was. Anyone else?

6. He’d cost the W’s $95MM just as the cap is shrinking — and even if he blew his knee out in Year One, we’d be on that hook for five years. Alternatively, if he’s just a rent-a-guy player for a year he’s just a pure waste.

Talk anout a no-brainer. . . . .Sheesh! You’d have to be a complete idiot to make such a trade.

Oh, and here’s a tip: get rid of the Fat Man as coach and you’ll see both BW and Marco get much better real fast. Has anyone in recent memory done a worse job of coaching, teaching, developing and communicating with players than Nelson did last year? Even Dunwoody?

I have always said I’m torn, but I have justified both sides of the argument.

I have always been pushing for a star caliber “go to” 4th quarter option……something we absolutely DO NOT have on this squad right now……..AR, Monta are all 2nd and 3rd options on a team like the Lakers or the Nuggets……….

I am leaning more and more toward the Stoudemire deal at all costs………

I always touted the pursuit of players like CB4 (Bosh) and the Stoudemire proposal definitely caught my interest.

Big changes are needed “ladies and gentlemen”…….again, what exactly have we accomplished with our current group of players over the past 3 seasons?

The last 2 seasons have been losing seasons and we won a “wopping” 48 games in 2007-2008, ……big “f-in” deal……….48 wins…….wow, let’s call in the parade.

But let’s be honest with ourselves, we were all “jerking off” over our 48 win 2007-2008 season.

48 wins is fine if you are the Golden State Warriors……..but if you go to a Laker executive or a Spurs executive and tell them, “Hey, look at us, we won 48 games in 2007-2008″, they would laugh at your face and kick you out of the Staples Center or the SBC Center, onto the street, without your shoes on and into a homeless shelter.

48 wins is a joke in today’s NBA.

We need to start thinking 50+.