<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Talked to Nellie this morning, which qualifies as a tiny crack in the Warriors' long-running silence. (Chris Mullin still isn't returning calls). A quick rundown, with some funny bits: Nellie's projected lineup: PG: Monta Ellis, C.J. Watson SG: Stephen Jackson, Marco Belinelli SF: Corey Maggette, Anthony Randolph PF: Al Harrington, Brandan Wright C: Andris Biedrins, (*Ronny Turiaf) Assuming they get Turiaf, who should be signing the Warriors' 4-year, $17 million offer sheet anytime now, Nellie said the next priority is to add a third point guard to backup Monta. Names I've heard they are/were interested in are Keyon Dooling, Jamont Gordon, and Anthony Carter, who just re-signed with the Nuggets. He says no other major moves expected. He and Baron smoked a cigar last Friday in Oakland when BD dropped by the Warriors' practice facility to say good-bye. Nellie says they're still planning on getting together in Maui next month. Stephen Jackson? Nellie joked that he's left five messages for him and hasn't heard back. As for Maggette, Nellie said he believed there were no option years on the contract. So that would leave it as a five-year deal for a little less than $50 million.</div> SOURCE
I like Janny Hu. She's a very objective reporter. She never seems to have an agenda like many of the other sports writers. I'm glad that Nelly likes Maggette because I like Maggette. He's great in the open cloor and will work wonders for our free throw shooting average. He's also a Jrich type of player, but probably leaning closer to the Pietrus side of things. A mix of power game and finesse game which works well for the all-around small forward position. He's also prone to making stupid fouls, but we should be used to that with Pietrus. At least 20ppg will come easy to a healthy Maggette where he could end up being anywhere from 2nd to 3rd option scorer. He's also not bad on D if he's not fouling people. Lately, he's been crappy on defense, but I think he's capable of being decent. I think it's about attitude, but partly about basketball IQ. My guess is that this whole team probably won't play much perimeter D, so why bother to rate his potential on defense... Nelson is all about scoring even if only one guy shoots the ball at one time and on defense all five have to play it. I think Rony Turiaf can be useful. We certainly don't have his type of role on this team. We can overhype Richard Hendrix all we want, but until he plays a single game in the nba, Turiaf is still the better enforcer at either PF or C. Without anything in the middle or depth at the post-playing positions, we're going to be dead last in the western conference. We can't control the tempo without size... we're just forced to run smaller and smaller sacrificing more D for O.
What's wrong with this picture? PF: Al Harrington, Brandan Wright Al Harrington = Starting Power Forward. Here we go again.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jason voorhees @ Jul 9 2008, 03:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What's wrong with this picture? PF: Al Harrington, Brandan Wright Al Harrington = Starting Power Forward. Here we go again.</div> I would think we trade Harrington which would leave Brandon Wright and Hendrix manning the PF position.
I'm pretty sure Harrington is getting traded, but if nothing good comes back he's the starting 4 because Wright hasn't played much. Turiaf could be the starting 4 (when or if he's signed), but Nelly likes his 4's as 5's and we have no backup C. I don't see it as a bad thing that Harrington starts if 3 point shooting becomes the topic of concern. I'm wondering where we get our passing from other than Ellis/Sjax... hopefully it's Randolph or Wright at the 4. If Mags goes to the hole, he ain't kicking out, he's trying to get fouled. Plus, what if Sjax is too slow to guard some shooting guards? I'll bet Mags can't guard that many shooting guards because of his slow lateral quickness (same problem with Jrich). Maybe we need to find a strong defensive guard in summer league play. It won't seem funny when the other team's shooting guard is scoring on us at will.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Custodianrules2 @ Jul 9 2008, 06:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I like Janny Hu. She's a very objective reporter. She never seems to have an agenda like many of the other sports writers. I'm glad that Nelly likes Maggette because I like Maggette. He's great in the open cloor and will work wonders for our free throw shooting average. He's also a Jrich type of player, but probably leaning closer to the Pietrus side of things. A mix of power game and finesse game which works well for the all-around small forward position. He's also prone to making stupid fouls, but we should be used to that with Pietrus. At least 20ppg will come easy to a healthy Maggette where he could end up being anywhere from 2nd to 3rd option scorer. He's also not bad on D if he's not fouling people. Lately, he's been crappy on defense, but I think he's capable of being decent. I think it's about attitude, but partly about basketball IQ. My guess is that this whole team probably won't play much perimeter D, so why bother to rate his potential on defense... Nelson is all about scoring even if only one guy shoots the ball at one time and on defense all five have to play it. I think Rony Turiaf can be useful. We certainly don't have his type of role on this team. We can overhype Richard Hendrix all we want, but until he plays a single game in the nba, Turiaf is still the better enforcer at either PF or C. Without anything in the middle or depth at the post-playing positions, we're going to be dead last in the western conference. We can't control the tempo without size... we're just forced to run smaller and smaller sacrificing more D for O.</div> Yeah Mags isn't bad at all, it just how much we paid him. The one thing I love is how he'll help our half-court offense with his ability to get to the FT line. Hes always tops in the league at getting to the line along with Pierce and Kobe. Not to mention he'll look pretty good running the floor and if his 38% 3 pt shooting last year was no joke he could end up being a real beast in Nellie's system. I dunno how his handle is but I would imagine its adequate although he won't be doing any point forward skills. If the plan is to have Monta take on a Baron-type role you're going to want more scorers around him so that defenders won't leak away and constantly double Monta. Monta, Jack, and Mags is a decent big 3 offensively add in Harrington, Biedrins on the pick and roll, Belinelli and hopefully Monta won't be smothered to death when hes handling the ball. Maggette has offensive efficiency for sure though. Like I've said before i didn't like how two fo our previous "big 3" were low 40% shooters and major chuckers. Now we've got two of our new 20 ppg trio who take it to the rack and shoot good FG%'s. As for Turiaf, I agree with you hes a guy we don't have who we need. Lakers fans seem to think hes the PF version of Pietrus but dudes 6'9-6'10, 250, lots of energy, will have some shotblocking presence, etc. I've been jocking Hendrix for most of 2008 but hes unproven, a rookie, 6'7, and hasn't even signed a contract yet. I still like him but you can't bank on a 47 overall pick to be a contributor as a rookie. Turiaf is big, athletic, and proven. I'm really not that optimistic about this team's playoff chances but if nothing else we are filling major holes. Like I said a few times before Monta averaged 23/6/5 after the all-star break shooting 53% so maybe he is ready to have a Baron-esque contribution? Then plug in MAgs as a replacement 3rd scorer, throw in Turiaf and get production from Wright, Beli, perhpas Hendrix and who knows maybe this team can do well. I mean how many losing teams has Nellie fielded? I'm looking over his team records over the years and the teams he has aren't losers for very long. He definitely knows how to get a perennial loser into a regular season winner and this team, despite losing Baron, still has talent. Once again I'll have low expectations but its not completely out of the question that this team does ok during the regular season.
