Murphy going nowhere: + Montay's comments

Feagen was assured from Mullin that Murphy will not be dealt for Artest. San Jose News reported it. You can also read more at hoopshype.com

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...rs/13561557.htm

We're still contenders but this goes back to what originally made sense

Pietrus/Biedrins/Cheaney for Artest

Don't want to lose Biedrins but we need a player of Artest's calibur.

 

So we lose 2 young studs and Cheaney and get back only Artest? That is fine with me. I would rather throw Murphy in though and get some scrub center back in return like Foster so we have a good excuse to start Diogu at PF and someone else at Center. If we keep Murphy here I think that will be a bad thing.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">I wouldnt even do an Artest trade if we keep Murphy. Theres not nearly enough shots for everyone. Also, getting rid of Murph allows Ike to be the man down low and hes the type of player we want in the post. Other bonuses of Murph leaving are Dunleavy plays alot better and we have a better cap situation. Bottomline is that Artest just couldnt work here while we still have 3 starters who command alot of shot attempts.</div>

I agree. I bet the Pacers won't have anything to do with adopting big contracts like Murphy's, thus, this trade will never happen.

 

Giving up Biedrins? We'll be crying if he turns out to be the next Jermaine O'neil type F-C. I think the guy is money and that we were lucky Toronto passed him up. He's a legit 7 footer with athleticism, great hands, good shotblock timing, good rebounding ability, and he passes. His only problem is he's too weak right now and he tries to make up for it by playing overly aggressive and risky.

Pietrus, I'll be sad to lose but Ron Artest is better than him and probably more versatile. Although Pietrus can guard point guards, it's the lighter, smaller bastards that nobody can defend unless we had a guy like Speedy Claxton at backup.

How does this help our team when it's really been forwards Dunleavy, Murphy, Foyle failing to do what we want them to do as starters. Murphy's only fault is he's not going to set the tone on defense and he's not going to pass or do the little things very often if he's already outhustled. Dunleavy's fault is he's not going to be consistent in an open ball type of situation when the defenses are already set. Foyle's problem is he's a backup center. Ike's problem is he's a rookie and he's forced to play center when his natural position should be power forward. We need to keep Biedrins and Taft. We don't know what we have in those two yet.

 

No! I hate this. Trade Murphy at any cost. He cannot play together with the Beast.

 

Article: Artest rumors not helping Montgomery on sideline

By Tim KawakamiMercury News Staff Columnist

The ground is shaking beneath Mike Montgomery, and it can't all be blamed on rampaging Ron Artest rumors.
The atmosphere is different, as the Warriors' hierarchy scrambles for answers. The Warriors are tilting off-balance, as Baron Davis pulls one way, the coaching staff pulls another and the cloddish efforts build.
Come on, if you saw the nose-diving, injury- and Artest-wracked Indiana Pacers stall and badger the Warriors for most of the game at the Oakland Arena on Thursday, you know what's happening. And you know it isn't good.
Blame the rumors for making the young Warriors skittish, if you choose. Blame anything you want. Heck, blame me, because I've been skeptical all season.
But before the game, Montgomery said he'd like to keep this good group of guys together (don't know if he counted Baron in there) -- and the result was an almost total flat-line effort.
It's too bad, but less than two years after bolting Stanford, Montgomery seems a little more lost, a little more out of place and a lot more alone every night.
Mike, has Chris Mullin asked for your opinion about Artest?
``Picture me Sgt. Schultz,'' Montgomery said before the game with his signature sarcasm. ``I know noo-thing.''
Curious. Chilling. Because Mullin and Rod Higgins are undoubtedly contemplating a deal for Artest, whether or not Montgomery wants to coach him. So what does that tell you about the current relationship between coach and management?
Of course, the main speculation involves a package featuring Troy Murphy for Artest, which would be a steal for the Warriors.
But Dan Fegan, the agent for Murphy, said Thursday that Mullin assured him Murphy would not be included in any trade for Artest, which sounds right to me since Murphy's long-term deal is a major complication.
Any trade is more likely to include Ike Diogu and/or Mickael Pietrus. I believe Mullin is loath to trade multiple young players without filling his main need in the low post.
Yes, Artest would be a major plus for this team if he could be controlled, and I'm fairly sure that Montgomery couldn't do it.
But Artest plays mostly on the perimeter, and I wouldn't give up a bunch of young talent unless I could get a major big man in return.
I think Mullin agrees with that. I also think he's more frustrated by this two-week tumble than anybody, he sees how unprepared this team is at the start of games, and he has to be wondering if a more passionate, NBA-credible coach could change things.
Mullin knows that there are real expectations to end the 11-year playoff drought, and that he has Davis is in his prime, ready to charge.
Is it time to do something just to shake it up?
By the way, Mullin has been so far off the radar the past few weeks I suspect he's rooming with Dick Cheney somewhere. But Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged Thursday that the Warriors are among Artest's main suitors.
``What I can tell you is whoever ends up with him is going to get a top-10 player who's a real difference-maker, who's a bona fide All-Star and maybe the best two-way player in the game,'' Carlisle said. ``I understand why there's a lot of interest.''
Artest is a great player. And he's crazy. He could lock down Kobe Bryant, then go AWOL on successive days.
But there are plenty of great players who are hard to coach, Davis among them, and if your coach is somebody who can't handle those guys, I'm not sure if you want him to be your coach for very long.
Phil Jackson handled Dennis Rodman and is begging for Artest. Flip Saunders and Larry Brown have done just fine with Rasheed Wallace.
Montgomery is a great program-builder who stayed at Stanford when he could've gone to UCLA or Ohio State, whose temperament and style might be too refined to fully incorporate the greater talents of the NBA.
And the great talent players are the ones who win championships.
Which makes me wonder: Should the Warriors continue to accommodate Montgomery's limitations by shying away from possible troublemakers?
Or has the latest weirdness forced management to plot the Warriors' post-Montgomery existence, which actually started with the acquisition of Davis last season?
Don Nelson is out there, in semi-retirement. Keith Smart is sitting there, already on the bench. So is Mario Elie.
Maybe I'm getting way ahead of everything here, but I think it's time to start analyzing how much things and expectations have changed for the Warriors since Montgomery was lured from Stanford.
We're getting a good read on all that right now, whether Artest ever ends up here or not.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...rs/13561557.htm

 

If Ike couldn't do the step back jumper or if we didn't have Zarko who is sort of like an inconsistent Dirk Nowitzki/Toni Kukoc type guy, I would say keep Murphy. But I think Murphy's lack of doing the little things really hurts this ball club, not to mention he takes away touches from anybody else who could make the offense for others come much easier in an organized offense. Murphy has been consistent and puts up numbers, but I think in the long term you need an all around guy that's going to play tough. No more slowarse, finesse softies, please! We can have one of those guys but that's it. But having two or three as forwards and centers is just asking to be pummelled, especially when you make those defenders move around a lot in help defense and getting mismatches off switches and fast cuts to the hoop. We defend the perimeter shots well, but we get crushed inside when the inside guys go out to contest.

 

I agree with Kawakami on this one. Montgomery is lost and the Warriors are fading fast. If Artest comes here Montgomery is gone. There is no way that Montgomery can deal with a personality like Artest.

Something is very wrong in Warriorland and I think Montgomery has got to go. Mario and Keith are both better suited for coaching this group. Personally I like Keith Smart.

The Warriors need to shake the team up whether they get Artest or not.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Montay:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with Kawakami on this one. Montgomery is lost and the Warriors are fading fast. If Artest comes here Montgomery is gone. There is no way that Montgomery can deal with a personality like Artest.

Something is very wrong in Warriorland and I think Montgomery has got to go. Mario and Keith are both better suited for coaching this group. Personally I like Keith Smart.

The Warriors need to shake the team up whether they get Artest or not.</div>
I think you are apsolutely right. I read that quote earlier in a different context and I thought that Monty knew what was going to happen, but was being sarcastic and keeping quiet per Mullin's policy. We do not hear a word about Warriors moves until they happen so for this trade to go down we are probably going to send off unthought of players.

But now I read it and I think, wow, for Monty to not know what is going on does not bode well for the communication between him and management. I also agree with the sentiment that if he can not handle the tough personalities and wants a bunch of goodie two shoes on this team then I say get rid of him and get someone who can handle it. I think Muss could not handle Artest. I think he would be too tough on him and too hard lined. But then again, he was only hard lined if you did not play defense and if you made boneheaded plays. Davis and Artest would probably be right up Muss' alley!

 

Do not trade Biedris under any circumstances (well okay unless its KG). Anyone else see his right handed finish last night? Beautiful. He showed more finesse in one move than Foyle has shown in 5 years.

 

Diogu as well. Those guys will be our front line in two years and will both be monsters. I will hate Mully if he does that.

 

I would be ok with trading Biedrens, but not Diogu...

Dont get me wrong, I like Beans and I think he or Taft should be starting at center, but Artest is a top 10-15 player in the league. He is more valuable to us in the west than a guy like Damp in a contract year. He can shut down Marion, Kobe, TMac, Allen all of the guys in the west we face who torch us night in and night out...

Think how valuable Bowen is for SA in the playoffs. Now think how valuable Manu is for his offense. Combine that into 1 player. Artest is money...

 

Artest could help us out, but I see him as a short term solution for our defensive problems on the perimeter. Interior defense, rebounding and inside scoring is what we suck at. We also suck at moving the ball and moving off the ball. We can't expect to win if the W's don't play organized and they keep turning the ball over. We are not the most athletic, most toughest team there is. We need to get smarter, more aggressive and more physical and to make our shots go down at reasonable %'s. I think for that to happen we need a true inside/outside game. What if Biedrins becomes a force inside later on? I mean look at Jermaine O'neil. Raw as hell, but he became pretty good, especially one-on-one. You can't teach size and coordination. Keep Biedrins and his potential and his hustle. I'd jettison Taft before Biedrins and the reason is I'm not sure if Taft is going to end up an underachiever. He's had some red flags that I'm not sure will ever go away unless something happens where he proves the critics wrong.

 

Dunleavy and Murphy can't be on the same team.

One has to go.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BDiddyJRich:</div><div class="quote_post">Dunleavy and Murphy can't be on the same team.

One has to go.</div>

I agree. I like Dunleavy's team game, but man I hate his results. I like Murphy because he's a 6'11 jump shooter who can rebound (poor man's Dirk, Mehmet Okur minus the inside game). But the problem is he's a terrible defender and he doesn't make anyone else better. He doesn't make the offense flow as it should and he's a terrible presence inside both offensively and defensively.

 

Thats weak! I would give up Murphy in a heartbeat. I am upset with his ball hogging, jump shooting, getting blocked on almost every shot he attempts in the paint and his less than normal rebounding arse!

 

Biedris is going to be good in the future. NOOOOOO!! Give them Murphy, he's already near his peak.