<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Nick Van Exel left Friday before reporters were allowed into the Warriors' practice facility. His silence was golden, according to tri-captain Avery Johnson. Johnson said it's time the Warriors closed ranks and focused on stopping a seven-game losing streak that has dropped them to 13th in the Western Conference. With the 14-20 club fresh off an 0-5 road trip during which Van Exel complained about coach Eric Musselman's offense and said players are "just going out there and playing'' without any idea about their roles, Johnson called for the Warriors to unite before the season unravels any further. Johnson made his plea with the Warriors set to begin a part of their schedule that could dictate the front office's course of action before the Feb. 19 trade deadline. Of Golden State's 11 remaining games this month, including tonight's meeting with Seattle, only one is against a team in the top seven of its conference. If the Warriors have designs on the playoffs, the turnaround must start now. "There is a lot of uneasiness mainly because of losing,'' Johnson said. .. . "Overall, everybody has to try to get on the same page, because the more you lose, the more things splinter. </div> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...SPGN847KJB1.DTL
