<u>Golden State Warriors 2004-2005 Season Preview</u> by Zhone Record 2003-2004: 37-45 Western Conference, Pacific Division The Warriors overachieved the past two seasons, yet still failed in both seasons to make the playoffs and are mired in a ten year playoff drought. This year, Warriors legend Chris Mullin assumed the lead position in the organization from lame duck GM Gary St. Jean and fired Eric Musselman, who was a successful, fiery coach whose aggressive attitude sometimes clashed with players and management. In his stead, Mullin brought in longtime Cardinal coach Mike Montgomery, who will be expected to make these young Warriors fly. The Warriors will have to overcome the loss of top flight C Erick Dampier, who was the team?s top rebounder and averaged a double-double last season and also compensate for the failure to re-sign fan-favorite F Brian Cardinal, whose eagle-eye 3-point shot and hustle earned him respect. Projected Starting 5 C Adonal Foyle PF Troy Murphy SF Mike Dunleavy, Jr. SG Jason Richardson PG Speedy Claxton Coach: Mike Montgomery, 1st year Bench G Derek Fisher C Dale Davis F Cliff Robinson G Mickael Pietrus G Calbert Cheaney F Eduardo Najera F Andris Biedrins G Luis Flores My Two Cents: Comments on the roster This Warriors rotation can go 10 or 11-man deep, which could result in some playing time disputes. Starting at center for the Warriors should be Adonal Foyle, who's played only erratic minutes over his career, but is an excellent shotblocker and hard defensive player who's earned playing time and a long-term contract. Although he won't replace the departed Dampier's numbers, he'll provide better leadership both on and off the court. At power forward, Troy Murphy is the likely starter, with last year starter Cliff Robinson coming off the bench in favor of the younger player. The organization must decide whether Murphy merits a long term contract after his unfortunate injury which sidelined him for a majority of last year. Third year pro Mike Dunleavy will also answer his critics and should give the Warriors hope this season and for the future. Last year's team scoring leader Jason Richardson lost his slam dunk title in 2004, but can be counted on to develop his offensive game to match his incredible athletic skills. Speedy Claxton will tear apart defenders with his quick moves and fearless drives to the basket, as long as he stays healthy. Although Derek Fisher recently signed a larger contract and was promised "starter's minutes," I feel that the training camp battle should give Claxton the edge and thus the starter's role. Off the bench, veterans Fisher, Davis, Robinson, and Cheaney provide not only a steady presence, but also display solid basketball skills. In addition, should one of the starters falter, they are the most likely to be asked to step into a starting role. Pietrus and Najera are tough defensive-minded players who can step in to stop the other team's opposing player. All of the bench players will fill solid roles for this team without fail. Starter highlight: Mike Dunleavy Mike Dunleavy's contract was extended for the 2005-2006 season before the start of this season, showing the management's faith in his improvment. Although many fans still question whether he was a solid 3rd draft pick or whether he's simply some skinny white guy, there's no question that he's been improving each year with more responsibility. With his playmaking abilities, court vision, and improving outside jumper, he's only a jump away from becoming a star player. To succeed at the small foward position, he'll need to improve his quickness, strength and confidence. Bench highlight: Mickael Pietrus Second year shooting guard Pietrus will be given a bigger role after his strong second half last season, and should continue to be an aggressive and smart defender. The question will become whether he can refine his offensive game under Coach Montgomery, develop a reliable outside shot and have his star potential flourish, or whether he will remain situated in a bench role for several more years. Unfortunately, due to inconsistency, signs point to the latter, though maybe it will not be too long under Montgomery's tutelage. Changes from last year New Arrivals F Andris Biedrins (11th pick in the 2004 draft by GS) C Dale Davis (traded from Portland) G Derek Fisher (signed as FA from LAL) G Luis Flores (55th pick in the 2004 draft by Dallas, traded to GS) F Eduardo Najera (traded from Dallas) Coach Mike Montgomery Recent Departures F Brian Cardinal (signed by Memphis) C Erick Dampier (traded to Dallas) C Evan Eschmeyer (traded to Dallas) G Avery Johnson (FA) F Popeye Jones (waived) G Nick Van Exel (traded to Portland) Coach Eric Musselman (fired) Question Marks: Dealing with the changes Were these good moves by the Warriors? First, Derek Fisher is an improvement over oft-injured Nick Van Exel, and will also fill the leadership role absconded by Avery Johnson. However, his long and pricy contract may become a problem for the Warriors in the future, and many question Mullin's foresight in signing him for so much. Dale Davis will provide solid rebounding off the bench, and his acquisition was a smart move, especially for the price of Nick Van Exel. Eduardo Najera will display tough defense, muscle, and hustle in the post. And finally, Andris Biedrins was a great draft pick by Mullin who should show that he will become a great post player within three years. While these moves gave the Warriors quality role players, in terms of talent, the team has lost more than gained, at least in the short term. Thus, the question will be how to overcome this hurdle. Although the new players will not fill the gaps left by Dampier and Cardinal alone, they will have substantial help from last year's holdovers. Coach Montgomery will have to deal with these losses, but he has the skills and demeanor to handle the rigors of coaching in the NBA. Three Keys to the Season 1. Stay healthy All teams have health problems. In the past few years, health problems have been the Warriors Achilles Tendonitis, if you will. Particularly, during last season, the team played long stretches without Nick Van Exel, Speedy Claxton, Adonal Foyle, and Troy Murphy. Although this Warriors team has the most depth in recent memory, it still relies on several key players, and will have to be cautious with players who are returning from injuries. The season will begin with Mickael Pietrus finishing recovery from a shoulder injury. The Warriors will have to work hard and avoid injuries to have a chance at the playoffs. 2. Rookie Development The Warriors are a young team who rely on the draft to build. Their selections will have to contribute now if they wish to make the playoffs this year. In particular, Murphy, Dunleavy, and Richardson will be relied upon to step up and carry this team. Recent draft selections Pietrus and Biedrins will have to handle both learning and contributing in a short amount of time. 3. Montgomery?s Adjustments It is vital that the players adjust to Montgomery, and that Montgomery adjust to the NBA game and players as fast as possible. While college coaches have a bad track record in the NBA, Montgomery has a good chance in making the adjustment because of his assistant coaches and Mullin's support. Still, Montgomery will have to deal with having a deep team the resulting ego-clashes and dissatisfaction over playing time. If both the players and Montgomery click quickly, the Warriors will have a strong outlook this season. If they falter, look for midseason roster changes and adjustments. Predictions The Warriors will have trouble as they adjust to a new coach and new system, despite relatively few roster changes. The players will work together and play great team basketball, but still experience several frustrating losses due to a lack of experience. The Warriors will make a late season charge at the 8th seed, but fall short in the crowd of talent in the Western division and fail to surpass a .500 record. They will have to wait until next season to break through the playoff barrier, but at least they have secured themselves a bright future with the marked improvement from its younger players, continually good draft selections, and cap room next season.
Nice review. I think they're going to miss Brian Cardinal's hustle, but hopefully Pietrus takes up the slack. Looking forward to seeing a fit Speedy starting, should be a good sight.
Yeah I think without an inside game that's pretty much a safe bet to say we're not going to the playoffs.
The Warriors are going to miss Cardnial's playing style,but i think with the Addition of Derek Fischer to the team,this team may not be so bad as people say it is. With new coach Mike Montgermy in the mix,were going to see him get the best out of these players here like he did with Stanford.it will be a while before the Warriors become a team to reckon with,but with Mike's good record of being a great teacher,i believe the future looks bright for Golden State.
