<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Everything the Warriors have done this offseason makes pretty good sense. Whether it was acquiring rookie Brandan Wright from Charlotte for Jason Richardson or buying out the contract of Adonal Foyle, it’s hard to argue with what the Warriors have done since their surprising playoff run. There’s only one problem. It’s hard to maintain they’re any better now than they were a year ago. The Warriors gained salary-cap flexibility with the Richardson and Foyle moves; they’ve acquired a couple of intriguing players in Wright and Marco Belinelli; they re-signed Matt Barnes, who was an important role player last season; and they have a wild card with center Kosta Perovic. Down the line, the Warriors look solid. In 2007-08 ... we’ll see.</div> Read More
I completely agree with Steinmetz (I usually do). On paper, no, they don't look any better for the upcoming season. But if you look at the big picture (the next 5 years), the Warriors are in a better position to build something solid than they were a few months ago.
<div class="quote_poster">AlleyOop Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I completely agree with Steinmetz (I usually do). On paper, no, they don't look any better for the upcoming season. But if you look at the big picture (the next 5 years), the Warriors are in a better position to build something solid than they were a few months ago.</div> Belinelli will make up for JRich's shooting and Wright will make up for his athleticism. I think we'll be fine this year depending on who our coach is.
we are WAY better than a year ago, no question. (as in 365 days ago). whether we are better than the end of last season is questionable.
<div class="quote_poster">Legacy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Belinelli will make up for JRich's shooting and Wright will make up for his athleticism. I think we'll be fine this year depending on who our coach is. </div> We're talking about two different positions based on one big role Jrich provided. And nobody is certain yet if Belinelli's summer league play will carry over into the nba regular season for 82 games especially when all he seems to do is take long jumpers off screens. Remember guys like Nikoloz Tksitishvilli, Jiri Welsch, and Maciej Lampe had some pretty good summer league games, and they aren't even in the league right now. I don't doubt Belinelli will be a good player, it's just that he might not be a 22 ppg type of Jrich player. I mean a player still needs to be a good inside scorer , passer, dribbler when that outside J ain't falling. I think Belinelli has got the ballhandling and passing department down. We'll see what happens. I think both our first round prospects are great, we'll just have to see what their bodies can do in terms of nba matchups and if they got the persona to keep their head up in pressure situations.
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I don't doubt Belinelli will be a good player, it's just that he might not be a 22 ppg type of Jrich player. I mean a player still needs to be a good inside scorer , passer, dribbler when that outside J ain't falling.</div> Was Jrich a good inside scorer, passer, and dribbler? BTW, he was a 16ppg scorer last year, not 22 <div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I think Belinelli has got the ballhandling and passing department down. </div> Ah, now there you go, CR2. Yes, he does. I watched video on Belly long before GS ever sniffed him in the draft. He's just a natural player. He's just a natural. Shooting. Passing. Dribbling. Relaxing. Exploding. He has a feel for each moment of the game. Yes, we can all sit around and talk about this, that and the other thing. Of course it won't matter until the first game of the regular season. I could sit here and tell you that Brandon Wright will be the next Amare Stoudamire, that he will explode on the scene in year 1 and vault us into the playoffs. Or, I could sit here and tell you he'll ride the pine behind Harrington, barely seeing the light of day, and even then looking like a kid in a man's game. Who knows? With that said, let me go on: Belinelli has been playing PRO BALL for years now, and he just has a natural feel for the game. JRich? No. No. No. He had NO NATURAL feel for the game in college. This was an ATHLETIC FREAK who could have excelled in gymnastics, football, wrestling, basketball -- you name it. JRich was an athletic phenom who had to LEARN THE GAME the hard way. Joining GS, he was a PF trying to be a G. He had NO ball-handling whatsoever. No passing ability. SUPER DUNK ABILITY. That's about it. Today? He's made himself into a good guard through tireless work in the gym. To this day, however, everything with JRich is still mechanical. Except dunking. His dribbling, passing, screening, court awareness -- it's all mechanical. He's just not a natural basketball player. Belly? He was born on the hardwood. Football? Forget it! Track? Nope. Wrestling? He'd get tossed around like a ragdoll... Hoops? FFFUCCCK YEAH!!!! Belly was born to do one thing in this world... put that orange rubber ball through the metal hoop. He's a natural. Will he be as good as JRich is now in year one? Who knows. Is he a better natural basketball player? Yes.
PG: Baron SG: Ellis SF: Pietrus PF: Murphy C: Biedrins 6th Man: Dunleavy We had that lineup for half of the year, vs. what we have now. PG: Baron SG: Ellis SF: Jackson PF: Harrington C: Biedrins 6th Man: Barnes or Belinelli
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">We're talking about two different positions based on one big role Jrich provided. And nobody is certain yet if Belinelli's summer league play will carry over into the nba regular season for 82 games especially when all he seems to do is take long jumpers off screens. Remember guys like Nikoloz Tksitishvilli, Jiri Welsch, and Maciej Lampe had some pretty good summer league games, and they aren't even in the league right now. I don't doubt Belinelli will be a good player, it's just that he might not be a 22 ppg type of Jrich player. I mean a player still needs to be a good inside scorer , passer, dribbler when that outside J ain't falling. I think Belinelli has got the ballhandling and passing department down. We'll see what happens. I think both our first round prospects are great, we'll just have to see what their bodies can do in terms of nba matchups and if they got the persona to keep their head up in pressure situations.</div> Well M21 is like a European basketball expert and he says that Belinelli will be a future all star.
Jrich is the Mavs killer. Without him, no way the Warriors can beat the Mavs again. Whether they'll be better this year, I'm not sure.
<div class="quote_poster">Gohn Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Jrich is the Mavs killer. Without him, no way the Warriors can beat the Mavs again. Whether they'll be better this year, I'm not sure.</div> True, he was a Mavs killer. But so is Nellie. He's a Mavs killer. I think we can still beat them without JRich, as long as Nellie sticks around...
<div class="quote_poster">AlleyOop Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Was Jrich a good inside scorer, passer, and dribbler? BTW, he was a 16ppg scorer last year, not 22 </div> Well that is because he was injured. When JRich averaged 8.8 points per game and 14.9 ppg in the first two months of the season, the Warriors sucked. But when he finally got his game going during the last two months of the season, the two months that basically put the Warriors in the playoffs JRich was a big factor and averaged 17.6 and 21.6 points per game in those two months. Also Jrich's 19 ppg in the playoffs is pretty good, especially for the percentages that he shot. If Marco can fill that spot, then more power to him. But I wouldn't say filling JRich's scoring on this team is going to be an easy task for a rookie. The biggest question is who helps this team on the boards? JRich was the team's best rebounder in the playoffs, when the team as a unit got killed on the boards. A lot of pressure will be on these two rookies, if expectations get set too high. This is not to say that they won't be able to step up and take on this pressure and completely succeed. But generally it may be tough to ask a rookie to contribute so much in his first season.
<div class="quote_poster">AlleyOop Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Was Jrich a good inside scorer, passer, and dribbler? BTW, he was a 16ppg scorer last year, not 22 Ah, now there you go, CR2. Yes, he does. I watched video on Belly long before GS ever sniffed him in the draft. He's just a natural player. He's just a natural. Shooting. Passing. Dribbling. Relaxing. Exploding. He has a feel for each moment of the game. Yes, we can all sit around and talk about this, that and the other thing. Of course it won't matter until the first game of the regular season. I could sit here and tell you that Brandon Wright will be the next Amare Stoudamire, that he will explode on the scene in year 1 and vault us into the playoffs. Or, I could sit here and tell you he'll ride the pine behind Harrington, barely seeing the light of day, and even then looking like a kid in a man's game. Who knows? With that said, let me go on: Belinelli has been playing PRO BALL for years now, and he just has a natural feel for the game. JRich? No. No. No. He had NO NATURAL feel for the game in college. This was an ATHLETIC FREAK who could have excelled in gymnastics, football, wrestling, basketball -- you name it. JRich was an athletic phenom who had to LEARN THE GAME the hard way. Joining GS, he was a PF trying to be a G. He had NO ball-handling whatsoever. No passing ability. SUPER DUNK ABILITY. That's about it. Today? He's made himself into a good guard through tireless work in the gym. To this day, however, everything with JRich is still mechanical. Except dunking. His dribbling, passing, screening, court awareness -- it's all mechanical. He's just not a natural basketball player. Belly? He was born on the hardwood. Football? Forget it! Track? Nope. Wrestling? He'd get tossed around like a ragdoll... Hoops? FFFUCCCK YEAH!!!! Belly was born to do one thing in this world... put that orange rubber ball through the metal hoop. He's a natural. Will he be as good as JRich is now in year one? Who knows. Is he a better natural basketball player? Yes.</div> Nice Ode to Belly. I do think J-Rich has developed quite a natural looking jump shot. He was also a good, strong defender. I can't comment on Belly's defense though, as I have not seen enough of him.
<div class="quote_poster">Clif25 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Well that is because he was injured. When JRich averaged 8.8 points per game and 14.9 ppg in the first two months of the season, the Warriors sucked. But when he finally got his game going during the last two months of the season, the two months that basically put the Warriors in the playoffs JRich was a big factor and averaged 17.6 and 21.6 points per game in those two months. Also Jrich's 19 ppg in the playoffs is pretty good, especially for the percentages that he shot. If Marco can fill that spot, then more power to him. But I wouldn't say filling JRich's scoring on this team is going to be an easy task for a rookie. The biggest question is who helps this team on the boards? JRich was the team's best rebounder in the playoffs, when the team as a unit got killed on the boards. A lot of pressure will be on these two rookies, if expectations get set too high. This is not to say that they won't be able to step up and take on this pressure and completely succeed. But generally it may be tough to ask a rookie to contribute so much in his first season.</div> That's a good point about the rebounding. Wright-we took for a PF role (eventually) but he was not a top 200 NCAA rebounder. Belli only rebounds in self defense. Only when #46 came up did we address the RBD emergency. Then with our FA $....we went for Croshere--who's a 3 chucker-not a rbds/banger,and we dropped Foyle. In spite of going down after getting outboarded by 28 by the Jazz---the offseason moves aimed more at adding even MORE 3 shooters while sacraficing some rebounding. That is frustrating. Further....At seasons end Pietrus and Barnes felt like a part of something and now feel like they'd better keep their bags packed. They-along with J Rich were the guys who DID step up for rebounds when the starting F's were boarding like Mugsy Bogues. We won't get the element of surprise. Teams will have a book on us-what we used on Dallas...what Utah used on us. Nellie - Mullie.....a couple of small F's,may dream of a powerhouse where big power types are irrelevant,and it's all about small F's filling half the roster,but so far-we painted ourselves into a corner-don't even have the Powell-Foyle option left. As is......Warriors still can make the playoffs....probably won't see round 2.
<div class="quote_poster">AlleyOop Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Was Jrich a good inside scorer, passer, and dribbler? BTW, he was a 16ppg scorer last year, not 22 </div> Jrich is not a 16ppg scorer, he's a 20-22 ppg scorer IMO. Why would we base anything that Jrich has accomplished thus far on his last season? We can't just count one bad year and assume he's crippled for now and forever into a 16ppg scorer. He's still a 20+ ppg type of guy even if his game is not the prettiest, he still finds some way to produce with impact. We'll see how Bel plays and Jrich plays for this season and make the comparrisons. I think Bel is a lot more natural basketball player and shooting guard, but the key is can he replace a lot what Jrich did and then also the shooting guard spot? Some guys are thinking this guy is Ray Allen, Peja, or Manu Ginobilli, but he could be more like Marko Jaric, Cuttino Mobley, or Vinny Del Negro. Then of course, we lose all that inside finishing power and rebounding. Is it me or does Marco seem like a gunner and a guy who gambles on steals? We'll see how he does, but I think I'll at least be happy with his shot mechanic and his ability to handle the ball and pass well when he chooses to pass. I'm impressed with his first two summer league games, but now he's got to deliver in a real season which I cannot wait to start already. My enthusiasm for Marco is like my enthusiasm for Ellis. I like Ellis, but he's got to prove he can be a point guard or else I can't get too excited about an undersized shooting guard. These guys got a lot to prove before they can be as revered as Baron Davis or even Jrich/Sjax.
