Baron: Will be allowed to run and gun like he did when he first got here without much hinderance from the coachings staff. Could be All Star or MVP candidate. Jrich: If the above happens and the wins pile on Jrich will be a lock for an All Star slot providing he keeps his same numbers or better. With a higher scoring team, his numbers will most likely go up 1-2+ppg. Dunleavy: This is a tremendous opportunity. He can either develop into a Dirk lite by playing how he did at the end of the season when Baron came here or he can shrivel up on the bench. This is a crucial pivot point for him... Murphy: This too could be paramount for Murphy. He can definately play a transition game and spot up for the 3pter. The question is his conditioning and being able to play in the post if needed. Foyle: Foyle is most likely out of the rotation because his biggest strength is not high on the priority list for Nelson and his biggest weakness will be the most irritating for the coach. The best he can hope for at this point in a Diop type role coming off the bench and energy. He is getting old anyways... Monta: He could be penciled in as a starter if the Warriors run a 3 guard lineup which most likely will be employed. Could he be the second coming of Arenas or Iverson? At this point, I would take a Rip Hamilton lite production from him. Pietrus: Contract year. Enough said. This guy is playing not only to get a contract from us, but to stay in the league. This could be just what the doctor ordered in terms of a change in scenery. This guy should challenge Monta for the 2 guard starting job if a 3 guard rotation is the primary strategy. He is athletic and can run the court in transition. He will be very valuable to Nelson. His defense will be icing on the cake... Zarko: He has been lost in Monty's bench and rightfully so. Last year started off slow, but this could be a rebirth for Zarko. At best I expect him again to play like he did when Baron Davis arrived at the end of the season a few years ago. He was the fastest transition player out there to cover ground on the court and he was on the recieving end of a few fancy Davis passes. I believe he is in or near contract status also. Diogu: This guy could get lost. His best game is suited to the half court style of play where he can bang down low. That is ok. The Warriors are going to run, but they will need some half court game, hit free throws and rebound. Diogu can provide all of that and finish in transition. He could be the perfect all around glue type player. Biedrens: This guy can finish in the half court and he can finish in transition. He can block shots and he can rebound. He is better suited to start than Foyle, but the question is more at the PF spot where Murphy will probably slide over to center and Ike, Biedrens, Taft and Obryant will battle for playing time. All the rest of the players are relatively unknown and will have a struggle to earn playing time. The good news is with a new coach everyone is starting with a clean slate and can earn their rep and make good first impressions. This should make for a lively training camp and preseason!
The biggest winners (guys with most opportunity) will be Dunleavy, Ellis and Biedris. JRich and Baron were going to score whatever the offense. Murphy is Murphy. Dunleavy will get more opportunities because the style will be uptempo. If someone can make Tolbert into a point forward, just think what he can do for Dunleavy. Ellis because Nellie does not care if a guy is green or not. Biedris because he's long and can run.
I totally agree with your breakdown. I don't see any negative effect of Nellie's coaching on any player on the roster. Although Nelson is famous for his small ball, run and gun style offense, he is also famous for drooling over Shawn Bradley, having Manute Bol shoot 3's and even having Paul Pressy doing a bit of the player coach.... what I'm saying is, Nellie's a basketball mind and can see potential (sometime's when there isn't any, in the case of Shawn Bradley). I'm hoping Diogu doesn't get lost...from what we've seen, he can run the floor and is adept at catching the ball, controlling himself and drawing the foul. I mean, if that's all he did and he scored all his points from the line, I'd be down with that. Ellis will shine with Nellie's guidance. Pietrus has a chance to shine as the 6th man. His combination of D and quickness gives Nellie some options. If he was a bit bigger, I'd make the comparison to Josh Howard, but I think Pietrus is a different player. I'm definitely looking forward to Nellie employing Dunleavy at point. Nellie loves large ball-handlers and he has one in Mike, I just hope Mike is ready to do some learning and get himself goingin the league. I agree with Foyle being the odd man out, but when was he ever in?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting YayAreaFanatic:</div><div class="quote_post"> I agree with Foyle being the odd man out, but when was he ever in?</div> When Mullin signed him to a max year deal and he was the starter under Monty...
I think Baron will benefit the most, he'll have a role very much like Steve Nash's role in Phoenix and if the team does succeed he'll take alot of the credit for it. J-Rich probably won't seem to improve much but if we're a winning team he'll get alot more expoisure and probably be an all-star. I think Biedrins will also greatly benefit, he still probably won't start but he's a guy who can provide a shot blocking presence, great rebounding, and can get up and down the floor. Same goes for Taft. I'm concerned that Diogu could get lost but on the other hand he could flourish, especially when the team is unable to run and needs to score in the half court style. I doubt Dunleavy will break out but I think we'll see improvement and I think he'll eventually be moved to a 6th man role so that he can come in at any position and be a mismatch problem (in Nellie's system he can play any position). Murphy probably won't improve much either but his valuer could go way up by playing center full time, which I think will happen. Zarko is another guy who should be able to fit in well, if he doesnt he's not getting a contract after this season. With his skill set and athleticism for his size you'd think he could start playing as well as he did at the end of 04-05 but confidence issues could hold him back. Pietrus is a bit of a wild card. We can probably expect him to abandon defense totally (if he hasnt already) but if he can hit his outside shots I think he could fit in great. Foyle really has no place in a run and gun game. He's far too slow to keep up with the rest of the players and his defense and rebounding is average. Hoefully we'll be able to move him.
Foyle will rot on the bench. Nellie loves offense and doesn't care much for defense. Foyle has NO offense and has mediocre defense. It's obvious whats going to happen to him. Also, since defense won't be as stressed much, maybe Biedrins won't get so many fouls. And I think Zarko can flourish, he can be a mismatch nightmare and the dude can dribble. Maybe Zarko will be point center at times or something haha
this seems like the perfect fit for you guys. I see this team becomint the early 2000's version of the mavs.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">this seems like the perfect fit for you guys. I see this team becomint the early 2000's version of the mavs.</div> Yep... all we need is KG. FREE KG!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AnimeFANatic:</div><div class="quote_post">Yep... all we need is KG. FREE KG! </div> lol, i wouldnt trade KG for the entire GS warriors give us Jrich and ike and tory for jaric and justin reed
You know, I really don't think Diogu needs the ball to be all that effective. You can make him go get it like Amare, or feed him on isolations like Zach Randolph or hit him in transition as he outhustles most forwards. Chris Taft might also be a surprise if he can stay healthy and we have at least one dribble penetrating guard that can interior pass and shoot some. I think Nelson is going to find out sooner or later that we don't have three all-stars on this roster. What we need is to work on finding one in our big men. We can't do jack with a guard dominated offense in the West. We'd basically be the Rockets with Mobley and Francis before Yao.
I'm looking at the roster completely differently than i did yesterday. Nelson is amazing at playing to his personnels' strengths. He's totally fearless when it comes to player rotations. This guy played 4 guys 6'6" and under and manute bol. And bol was told to stand outside the 3 point line and chuck the occasional bomb. And they won a ton of games! I look at the roster and i think the only guy he won't have any use for is Foyle. He can do something positive with everyone else on the roster. The thing i love about Nels is that he doesn't have some 'system' that he wants everyone to fit into. He adjusts his plan to fit his roster, and that's how a smart nba coach operates. edit: to be fair, that's one way a smart nba coach operates...larry brown has shown that with the right mix, he can win with players adapting to his system.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting DTKennedy:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm looking at the roster completely differently than i did yesterday. Nelson is amazing at playing to his personnels' strengths. He's totally fearless when it comes to player rotations. This guy played 4 guys 6'6" and under and manute bol. And bol was told to stand outside the 3 point line and chuck the occasional bomb. And they won a ton of games! I look at the roster and i think the only guy he won't have any use for is Foyle. He can do something positive with everyone else on the roster. The thing i love about Nels is that he doesn't have some 'system' that he wants everyone to fit into. He adjusts his plan to fit his roster, and that's how a smart nba coach operates. edit: to be fair, that's one way a smart nba coach operates...larry brown has shown that with the right mix, he can win with players adapting to his system.</div> Yeah-I worry that Nellie will not get much better D,and that O'Bryant,as a raw young big won't get on the fast track. Foyle's bungles will hurt him-but he hustles. If he lost 15 lb,regained some hops it would help. Murphy at C and Ike at PF is so obvious..maybe not your main lineup-but a combo you want to at least TRY...and for sure it's something Nellie will do. Nellie COACHES. That will help Pietrus,Zarko,Taft smooth out their game-find a niche. Nellie will like Ike and Monta a lot. As is,they have the skills/tools to matchup with NBA starters-and they will be improving as they play. Zarko has some Dirk in his game and I think Nellie will see that as a nice challenge.
A running team is not gonna get a flying showtime finish every time,and,on the other end-you need boards and D. Ike can be very valuable just as Amare is valuable to the Suns. Nellie's smallball here was partly related to a dire lack of good mobile big men. When he went small-unlike Monty he forced a fast pace,even 1/2 court was motion offense at 78 rpm.
I like what this could mean for Zarko, actually. I don't get why Montgomery agreed to be a Warriors coach when it was learned that Adonal Foyle would be his starting center. I mean c'mon he wasn't even good enough to beat Dampier in a non-contract year for the starting role. Coaches back then knew what was up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post">I like what this could mean for Zarko, actually. </div> Unfortunately this just happens to be his contract year. I guess thats good since he will be more motivated, but then what if he does really well? Considering we have Mullin, Zarko will ask for $$$.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Warriorfansnc93:</div><div class="quote_post">Diogu: This guy could get lost. His best game is suited to the half court style of play where he can bang down low. That is ok. The Warriors are going to run, but they will need some half court game, hit free throws and rebound. Diogu can provide all of that and finish in transition. He could be the perfect all around glue type player.</div>I am definitely worried about Diogu's fate under Nelson. I think there's a very good chance he will be under utilized (although he was under Monty also IMO). Diogu is a little slow at running the floor and I don't see Nelson settling into a half-court postup offense that would fit Diogu's game very often. About all I hope for is a lot more, and better, ball movement under Nellie, thereby giving Ike some nice dunk opportunities. The ball movement in the halfcourt under Monty was terrible. If Ike can work on his passing he could find a place.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting HiRez:</div><div class="quote_post">I am definitely worried about Diogu's fate under Nelson. I think there's a very good chance he will be under utilized (although he was under Monty also IMO). Diogu is a little slow at running the floor and I don't see Nelson settling into a half-court postup offense that would fit Diogu's game very often. About all I hope for is a lot more, and better, ball movement under Nellie, thereby giving Ike some nice dunk opportunities. The ball movement in the halfcourt under Monty was terrible. If Ike can work on his passing he could find a place.</div> I agree, it would be a shame if Ike isn't developed into a primary post player, it seems Murphy is more of a Nellie guy. Perhaps Ike can play center -- I didn't like that last year, but it's better than him sitting on the bench.
I wouldn't worry about Ike, He can hit the mid-range jumper and has great hands. If Victor Alexander was getting big minutes under Nelly (when he kept his weight down) then Ike should do just fine.
