<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Warriors have been here before, of course. They started last season on a 12-6 run before they lost their way. Lost games. Lost their shot at a playoff berth. And, ultimately, Coach Mike Montgomery lost his job. Which is how Don Nelson came to be sitting in Oracle Arena on Monday night, both before and after the Warriors' wild 113-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns, cautioning everyone not to get too carried away. Yes, a 7-4 record is encouraging, Nelson agreed. But the team also had benefited from ``a perfect schedule'' -- with few dominant opponents, the right amount of rest days and an abundance of home games. ``We haven't gone through hard times yet,'' he said. ``I know they're coming.'' Indeed, now comes a challenging stretch that should give the Warriors a better idea of just where they stand. Actually, it started with Monday's track meet with the Suns. Next up are consecutive games against Carmelo Anthony's Denver Nuggets -- first tonight at home and then on the road Friday. After that, the Warriors face sizzling Utah, San Antonio and Indiana over the next week. But already there are encouraging signs, starting with the growing realization that the Warriors may have two rising stars in guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins. They are only 21 and 20, respectively, but both are rapidly emerging into forces at the two most difficult positions to develop. Against the Suns, Ellis at times took over the game, scoring 31 points (for the second game in a row) and adding seven assists as he ran the offense in the absence of the injured Baron Davis. Just two seasons removed from playing high school ball in Mississippi, Ellis played like a savvy veteran, tying Phoenix defenders in knots. ``He was a 2 guard, wasn't he?'' the Suns' Steve Nash asked. ``It's really impressive how he's able to handle pick and rolls so well. He's a talented kid. He makes good decisions, especially for a guy who's just learning that position.'' Ellis also had ``A Star Is Born'' moment when, on a three-on-one fastbreak, he went airborne and unloaded a devastating slam dunk over Leandro Barbosa that brought the crowd to its feet. Meanwhile Biedrins, the 6-foot-11 center from Latvia who looked mostly confused and foul-prone in his first two NBA seasons, quietly has started to figure things out. He scored 13 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked two shots against the Suns. He can run the floor and handle the ball. In other words, with further polishing (and work on his free throws), he might be the ideal big man to play in Nelson's up-tempo game. But from the perspective of Nash and Raja Bell, two Suns who previously played for Nelson in Dallas, the growth of the entire Warriors roster can be summed up this way: the coach. ``Nellie is a teacher,'' Nash said. ``That's what he does.'' Bell added, ``With Nellie bringing that fast-paced style, they've got a lot of athletes who are rangy and can play multiple positions. That's tough to guard. They can put five weapons on the floor.'' But Nelson has had fewer players than he anticipated. Injuries have limited Troy Murphy, Jason Richardson, Ike Diogu and Davis, who missed the Phoenix game because of a strained rib muscle. Davis remains the key for the Warriors. He has started the season on a mission, averaging 20.7 points, 8.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals. ``He has just been wonderful,'' Nelson said. Davis' new backcourt running mate has been a revelation. In Dallas, Nelson had to convince a young point guard named Nash that he could score. Now, Nelson has been persuading a young scorer named Ellis to develop point-guard skills. ``I told him that if he ever wanted to be a star player, he had to play the point,'' Nelson said. ``Otherwise, he's just a small 2 guard, and they're a dime a dozen. He never saw himself as a playmaker, just a finisher. I've encouraged him to see the game differently, and he's taken off.'' Although Ellis covered for Davis against the Suns, the two guards complement each other when they're on the floor together. ``It's going to be very tough for teams to stay with me and Baron,'' said Ellis, who is averaging 18.7 points. ``We're a great combination. Both of us can switch guard positions when we're on the court. With the quickness I have and Baron's ability -- and then when Jason gets healthy -- the possibilities are very exciting.'' Nelson is understandably curious to see how the team performs when everyone returns to form. But he's careful not to say anything that will raise expectations too high. ``Whether we can be talented enough to make the playoffs, I don't know. We certainly have played well early. We'll see how it all works out.''</div> Source
thx for the article. I'm sure everyone knows that the key to this season is Baron Davis being healthy. Some of our best warriors players cannot avoid being liabilites on the floor. Whether it's defense, free throws, experience, or foul trouble, there's no warriors players that are balanced enough to lead the way in all areas. I guess that's like a lot of teams, but especially ours when we lose Biedrins at C and Ellis at shooting guard/point guard and Baron Davis at pg. I'm not sure if Ellis can play tonight. Maybe it was just a cramp he got last game and it's nothing serious.
