How long have you been a warriors fan?

I’ve been a fan since I was 8, which was the time I started to play organized basketball.  I grew up watching Mully, Hardaway, and Sprewell. “Spree for three!”

Fav. current Warrior? Why?

Kelenna Azubuike. Ever since he got swooped up from D-League he’s improved each year.  You never see him complain about PT or anything. He just goes out there and works hard each night. You can tell he’s a dedicated team player no matter what the record indicates.  That’s what it’s about and exactly the type of attitude we need to move forward in the right direction.  Heal up soon Buike!

Fav. all time Warrior? Why?

My Favorite Warrior of All-Time/My Life-time would have to be BD.  There were a lot of players that I’ve seen come and go on this team, but he sticks out the most.  He only spent a few years in the Town, but he made a big impact!  When you think Warriors in the 2000s-era, you’ll think BARON DAVIS.  He helped bring new life to the organization.

Fav. moment?

Definitely in 2007, the Game 6 win at home VS the Mavs!  It was history in itself beating out the team with the best record that year, but the thing that I won’t forget was the energy at the Arena that night.  It was indescribable, and yes, AMAZING!   The Arena took on a life of its own.  It was a great win for every basketball fan in the Bay.  I’m glad I got to take part of that moment.  I remember I had tickets to a concert that night but I had a quick change of plans because I knew that night was the night, and it did not disappoint.

Worst moment as a Warriors fan?

When the 06-07 squad got dismembered.  It started with J-Rich getting traded and it had you thinking, “WTF are they doing?”  We ended up with a really good 07-08 record, but it wasn’t enough to slip into that last playoff spot.  Then we slowly lost core players from the playoff squad and you could just see that everything was slowly going downhill.  We signed a few people in 08, but so far the production hasn’t been close to equal all the money we put on the table.  It’s disappointing.

What’s your feelings on the current Ownership/Management of the Warriors?

I don’t know where their head is at.  There have been so many bad decisions, from draft picks to trades, you name it.  As a fan, you definitely feel frustrated when you look at where they’ve been and what could’ve been. They need to focus back on winning and being a successful, respected organization.  This has probably been the most frustrating year so far.  The season didn’t start off well with Jack being unhappy with the organization.  And even with all the drama, it was sad to see him go.  My word to the current Warriors front office: If you don’t have any interest or are at a loss for new ideas or decisions on where to lead this team, then I think it’s time you let it go.  It’s time for someone else to take the reins.  The Bay Area fans deserve it!

You’re named Warriors GM, How would you improve the team? What changes do you think need to be made?

I would look into bringing in some veterans or role players who can run with the Dubs style and pace.  I love that we’re a run and gun squad but we need more pieces to complete the puzzle and get us back to winning consistently.  Monta can be a leader if he wanted to but I feel he needs someone to help lead the way with him and share the role.  BD had that strong presence, and the current roster lacks that type of leadership.  Also, as I’ve been saying for the past couple years, we need a big man!  Nellie small-ball is not gonna win us enough games to reach the playoffs or allow us to consistently beat the stronger teams in the league.

You can bring any current NBA player to the Warriors, who would it be?

Kevin Durant. He’s an up and coming superstar, and his game fits the Warriors style.  As a young player he has that confidence and ability to do big things for a team.   He’ll serve as another threat offensively and help grab boards, drop a few dimes, and get some steals.  But realistically, if there opportunity is there, I would def like to get Amare or Bosh.  I got love for Biedrins, but I don’t like money and time wasted due to injury.  2008 was a year of impulse signings and bad multi-million dollar decisions.

Finish the sentence, When the warriors win the championship, I will…..?

Cry tears of joy and enjoy it!  Then have Ribs ‘N Things cater the celebration party.  I’ll make my dad wear a Warriors t-shirt, hat, jacket, sweatshirt, etc. wherever he goes for a month.  He’s from SoCal and loves his Lakers so that’s gonna be a good one.

Do you Visit Warriorsworld.net?

Definitely!  It’s a great site and a place where true Dubs fans can hear honest words on their team.  The interviews are great!  Looking forward to more great work!

Bio

Jasmine is 23 years old, born and raised in San Francisco (The City).  She is currently working and in school pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice.  My career goal is to impact the community to strive for the better and to make a positive impact in the lives of the youth and families.  I love R&B, NBA, and experiencing different cultures. Love life!

Favorite Quote: “The sun is somewhere shining even when it rains.”

By: Sherwood Strauss

This is when the inevitable becomes unbearable.  Deep down, we knew Anthony Randolph had to get hurt.  He’s all arms and legs, flying around with Gerald Wallace like reckless abandon.  Though incredibly coordinated with the ball, he’s anything but when falling (um, flailing) to the floor.  He’s a gymnast who can’t stick a landing, a cat who falls on his back.  This twisted ankle hurts because it makes us consciously accept the hard reality of what we all subconsciously knew: This dude will be injury prone on a team with a bad injury track record.

So the torn ligature bodes badly for the distant future, but it’s also terrible for the here and now. It’s because Randolph became the guy to watch.  In meaningless games, on a directionless team, AR brought the drama.  Every ill-fated stumble made me cringe as I expected Don Nelson to yank the kid.  When Anthony Randolph anxiously turned his head benchwards, I felt genuine dread.

My worry over Nellie’s handling of Randolph made me pull harder for his success.  He needed to outplay the other guys just to get half his fair minute share.  By some metrics, Randolph’s done that to the tune of becoming our best or second best player.  Numbers haven’t swayed the old man though, possibly because Randolph’s mistakes are so discordant (Note: Coming up with logical reasons for Nellie decisions is dangerous, don’t try this at home!).  I’ve heard AR has a ‘bad basketball IQ,’ but that’s not altogether right.  Anthony Randolph makes some brilliant plays and sometimes sees angles other big men miss.  But his screw-ups are so freakishly terrible; you’d almost have to plan to replicate them.

I went to the nationally televised Warriors-Wizards game and witnessed the most Randolphian performance yet.  It began with Nellie’s ritual embarrassment of the kid (D-Leaguer Chris Hunter started).  When AR checked in, he started bricking shots like pre-2009 Josh Smith. The crowd tensed up, some people shouted for him to stop.  I half-considered ditching Oracle for an International Ave. taco truck.

The Wizards missed a three; Anthony Randolph launched into the air and snatched the rebound over Stephen Curry’s head.  He started dribbling down the floor as I braced for a comical turnover.  Then Randolph turned Andray Blatche around with a sick crossover near half court and you could hear the crowd ‘Oooo’ just a little. Anthony dribbled all the way to the three-point line and absolutely whipped a pass between two converging defenders.  Little CJ Watson got the easy layup, in what was an inversion of how basketball works.

One of the reasons I love live basketball is that you can hear thousands of people react inadvertently.  An impressive play leads to a completely visceral, unintentional warble.  I wish letters could accurately convey it—the best I can do is this: The noise sounds like a sped-up rumble.  Randolph’s pass prompted the speed rumble because a) it seemingly came out of nowhere, and b) was slung so hard the ball had a visual trail on it—the kind you only see in baseball or tennis.

Later in the game, Randolph dribbled the ball inbounds.  That doesn’t sound bad, except for the part about how he was supposed to throw an inbounds pass on the play. The gaffe fit perfectly into Randolph’s rollercoaster evening, a night culminating in defeat at the hands of a team that will forever be known for cards and guns chaos.   Here’s my list of Randolph moments from the game:

Awful: Bricking three straight jumpers, dribbling what was supposed to be a damned inbounds pass; ‘blocking’ a lame-duck shot that had fallen below the rim

Awesome: The aforementioned light-speed pass, somehow dunking his own missed floater, shaking Blatche ‘And One’ style for a glorious spinning layup, cramming a Vlad Rad brick over the whole Wizards team.

And I was entertained.  Doesn’t sound important, but why the hell else should people keep caring about this woeful team?  The 20 year old scratching the surface of his potential amid Nellie insanity was the most compelling storyline of the year.  With Randolph out two months, the very nature of how I watch these games is altered.  Gone is my exasperation at seeing scrubs play in front of him, disappeared is my childish emotional stock in his success—maybe I’ll even stop sarcastically cheering Vlad Rad.  For now, Curry and Monta are the ones to watch on what has become a nearly unwatchable team. Long live the Cartier Martin Era.

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Warriors World

The Warriors finished the week 2-1 with wins @ Minnesota and at home vs the Kings.  The lone loss came in heartbreaking fashion as the Nuggets beat the Warriors following a rather suspicious foul call on Monta Ellis which gave J.R. Smith three foul shots with less than a second remaining.  Ellis had converted a nifty lay-up the possession prior to give the Warriors a one point lead and the opportunity to pull off a big road win.

The victory was not meant to be as Monta Ellis was whistled for a foul on J.R. Smith as he began his shooting motion for a potential game winning shot.  Ellis made slight body contact but it was the big swipe he took over Smith’s head which caused the zebra’s to blow their whistles.

Here’s Bob and Jim breaking down the final sequence.

Down goes Randolph, down goes Randolph

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before… A Warriors player is injured and out indefinitely.  Anthony Randolph suffered a left ankle injury early in the game vs the Kings on Friday.  Latest reports on Randolph indicate no “acute fracture” with a MRI scheduled for today.  For the latest on the Randolph injury, check out Matt Steinmetz’s article HERE.

Photos Courtesy of : Csnbayarea.com

Cartier Martin to the Warriors

The Warriors called up Cartier Martin from the D-League this weekend and he will be in uniform tonight vs the Cavaliers.  Martin has one practice under his belt with the Warriors but still expect him to play about 20+ minutes tonight and get the unenviable task of guarding LeBron James.  Here’s the press release from the boys over at 1011 Broadway.

“The Warriors signed swingman Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract, the team announced Sunday.

The 25-year-old Martin is a call-up from the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy, where he averaged 14.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 12 games this season. The 6-foot-7 Martin, who went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2007, began last season with the Energy before being called-up by the Charlotte Bobcats, for whom he played 33 games and averaged 2.6 points and 1.0 rebound in 8.1 minutes per contest.

Martin was with the Warriors during the Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.33 steals and 1 block in 29.3 minutes over three games.

The Warriors’ roster now stands at 16 players. The Warriors are able to add Martin to the roster under the NBA’s hardship rules, which allow a team the ability to sign an additional player if that team already has 15 players on its Active and Inactive Lists and has four-or-more players unable to perform playing services due to injury or illness for an extended period of time.”

Homer v Non-Homer

Geoff Lepper (of 48minutes.net) and I do a little role-playing…No, not THAT kind… I take on the roll of a “Homer” and Geoff represents the “Non Homers”.

Rasheed: Chris Cohan has never shied away from spending on players, he pays to keep his players and doesn’t meddle or become obtrusive as other NBA owners tend to do.  Yet he continues he receive hate and backlash even though he has a successful product in terms of business.  The negativity towards Robert Rowell and Cohan is off base, is it not?

Geoff: Hey, Rip Van Winkle, how was 2005? Did you bring back some jobs for us all?  We all know Chris Cohan spent into nine figures to keep Adonal Foyle, Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy and bring in Derek Fisher. The team has long pointed to those moves as proof of Cohan’s conviction.

But the last of that crop of big-dollar deals was handed out to Dunleavy four years ago. Since then, the Warriors have been all about hard-line contract negotiations and “salary protection,” as Bobby Rowell so famously dubbed it.

Keeping together the “WE BELIEVE” crew would have been expensive. It almost certainly would have pushed the Warriors into luxury tax territory, and that would have had a deleterious effect on Rowell’s bottom line. But keeping that team together and augmenting it with further talent also would have provided the Warriors their best chance of getting past the second round of the playoffs since 1975. (Assuredly, it would have been the only chance with this coach. Mismatches all over the floor, 3-point gunners everywhere — that was the perfect team for Nellie-ball.)

Instead, of course, Richardson was dealt for Brandan Wright to help make sure the team stayed under the luxury-tax threshold. Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes were chiseled down in their salary demands and eventually walked in response. If you believe the reporting, they balked at giving Kevin Garnett a max extension and handing major money to Amare Stoudemire, helping torpedo those negotiations.

Above all: l’affaire Baron.

The idea that Cohan should be allowed to avoid the cheap label because he spent a lot of money four, five and six years ago — deals which his team uniformly shed before their expiration — is ludicrous.

As for the notion that Cohan doesn’t meddle, I must concede that’s technically true. But Rowell represents all things Cohan at 1011 Broadway. And to say Rowell hasn’t been obtrusive is just plain wrong: He made the final call on BD, determined the penalty for Monta’s Moped Madness and personally negotiated the Stephen Jackson extension that has become a $28-million anvil chained around this team’s neck.

Business-wise, you’re right — the team has done well during Rowell’s tenure. They’ve consistently made money in that time-frame, and that’s what he gets judged on. Fans, however, judge a team by success on the court and on that count, the Cohan-Rowell partnership has been, with the exception of 15 months in 2007-08, a pretty dismal failure.

Rasheed: How do we move forward if we continue to dwell on the past?  There’s been mistakes made throughout the years but to specifically pinpoint them on Cohan and Rowell is a cop-out.  They’ve hired people who they’ve entrusted to do a good job yet those people have failed and management has not hesitated to replace them with new people in hopes of getting the job done right.

No doubt that Baron was the engine that made the “WE BELIEVE” team run but to go out and give him a extension worth big money knowing his history with injuries, motivation and reputation would have been the wrong move.  Let’s say Baron got the extension he wanted, do you think he’d continue playing at the level he played in 06-07 or would he be on the injured list or mailing it in?

Geoff: How can holding the people who run the organization accountable for the mistakes of the organization be a cop-out? Especially when Rowell has become so intrinsic to the team’s contract decisions of late — and has in some cases put “salary protection” above the quality of the product on the floor?

As for “getting the job done right,” was the drawn-out dismissal of Chris Mullin a matter of him not getting the job done? Or of him disagreeing with Rowell on the best way to do that job? I understand that the Warriors would like us to believe the former, but all credible available evidence leads us to the latter.

I agree there was no guarantee Baron would remain healthy through the life of an extension. Then again, no player is a certainty.

Finally, how can you claim as fact that extending Baron was the “wrong move”? Doesn’t that mean what’s happened since then — 29-53, practically willful disregard and contempt for defense, a coach who looks disinterested at best, Stephen Jackson blazing his own Freedom Trail, no discernible plan for the long-term — is the right move? I would hope no one thinks that’s the case.

Rasheed: Stephen Jackson basically turned his back on the organization, the same organization who brought him in and allowed him to have his re-birth as a player.  He’s achieved greater personal success and been given the freedom every player longs for on the court.  As a sign of gratitude and wanting to build on recent success the Warriors gave him a 3 year extension when he still had 2 years remaining on his current deal.

To turn around within the same year and belittle as well as demand a trade shows a complete lack of professionalism and respect as he basically stabbed this organization in the back.

Actions speak louder than words and Jackson’s actions proved what type of individual he is.

Geoff: Well, you can flip that argument on its head: Stephen Jackson allowed the organization to have a re-birth, leading them to their first playoff berth in 12 years and then to a 48-win season, so the Warriors owed him a debt for that work.

But that really misses the point: The Warriors set themselves up for this situation. Jackson was on his best behavior when he first arrived in Oakland because of his past transgressions. By giving Jackson the extension with two full years left on his current deal, the Warriors took away any motivation Jackson had to remain in such a state.

Not only did the Warriors give Jackson more financial security than he had ever enjoyed before. They also made clear Jackson’s singular place in the organization: While everyone else had to suffer under the iron fist of “salary protection” and only got paid at the threat of free agency, Jackson was handed a deal while the Warriors still held him under their control. Basically, the hard-line contract rules didn’t apply to Jackson — so why should he think other rules apply to him as well?

Follow Geoff on Twitter, HERE and check out his site, HERE

Youtube’n It

J.R. Smith showing off his high basketball IQ

Sleeper candidate for the 3-point shootout

“Blood” Dizzle?

Warriors World

The Warriors started the week in impressive fashion as they took care of the Boston Celtics at home with a 103-99 win.  Led by Monta Ellis, the Warriors erased a double digit first quarter deficit by halftime and never looked back.   The following night the Warriors made their way to the City of Angels to take on the Lakers.  The Warriors came out firing as they put together a phenomenal first half paced by Corey Maggette who torched the Lakers in the first half.  Unfortunately, like many games this season the Warriors were unable to sustain their good play for the entirety of the game.  The Lakers won the game behind Kobe Bryant and his big night.

Ronny tells Kobe to get lost

With two pretty good performances earlier in the week the Warriors looked at the Blazers game as a potential laugher.  The Blazers were missing 6 rotation players highlighted by Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge.  The Blazers gave the Warriors an embarrassing loss considering how short handed the Blazers were and how well the Warriors looked in the first quarter.  Following the first quarter, Portland completely shut down the Warriors offense and forced a comedy of turnovers which led to easy buckets on the other end.

WarriorsWorld TV headed to Warriors HQ to sit-down with Anthony Morrow.  In the piece which will be posted later on this week, we get to the bottom of Morrow’s competitiveness, who he thinks is the best shooter and how he’s adjusted to life in the Bay Area.  Morrow also plays a little 1 on 1 with our host, Lucena Herrera.

Quick Hits on the Lakers with Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld.com

WW.NET: How vital is Gasol to the Lakers success? And just how good of a player is he because I consider him a top 5 big man yet he’s overlooked by many.

E.P.: Outside of Kobe Bryant, what makes the Lakers unique is their trio of big men Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Gasol.  I’m not sure the teams is a true championship squad without all three.  Pau is the most polished and consistent of the group.  He’s so versatile offensively but has always been an underrated defender.

Back in the days when the Memphis Grizzlies were a 50-win playoff team (not that they won any postseason contests), they were a regular season defensive powerhouse.  I’m not going to credit that all to Gasol, but he’s no slough.  As you say, list five big men in today’s game more effective than Gasol?

WW.NET:Kobe is discussing signing a contract extension which has reportedly been worth $91 million dollars over 3 years.  Is there any way Kobe doesn’t re-up with the Lakers?

E.P.: From what I understand, the Lakers are completely willing to give Bryant an extension but his camp is moving slowly.  Technically Kobe may be able to lock in more guaranteed money if he waits until this summer to become a free agent.  There are different rules when it comes to extending vs. signing a new deal outright.  With the Collective Bargaining Agreement in flux, I could see Bryant holding off until the offseason.  I would be shocked if he left the franchise as a free agent.

WW.NET: How has Kobe transitioned from being a difficult and abrasive teammate to more of a nurturing leader nowadays?  Is there a more mentally tough player in the NBA?

E.P.: Kobe has matured some.  He’s not all glares and stares.  I mean – that’s still there – but he spent a lot of time last year mentoring guys like Trevor Ariza.  A few years back he seemed to be more isolated.   I think some of it is better players alongside him – but also Bryant growing up some.

I’ve spoken to Gary Vitti about Kobe.  The Laker trainer said that Bryant is the toughest player he’s ever worked with – bar none.  There’s no one who can handle pain like Kobe.

WW.NET: Ron Artest has settled in quite nicely with the Lakers as he’s accepted his role and played within himself. Will we ever get to a point where fans and media are not simply waiting or expecting Ron Ron to flip out in a fashion reminiscent of what took place in the Palace of Auburn Hills?

E.P.: They can wait – and it may always be something Ron has to deal with – but people forget that Shaquille O’Neal was considered a bust until he won a ring – Kobe Bryant was never going to win again once Shaq left – Kevin Garnett would never win a title, etc.  Thing are true until they’re not true anymore.

WW.NET: If the Lakers have a weakness, its the bench unit.  Are they looking to upgrade their bench and who are some realistic targets?

E.P.: Coach Phil Jackson has been typically running an eight man rotation with the starters plus Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar.  Once Luke Walton is healthy (back), Jackson will go nine.

Long term the team is set at four positions plus Odom.  How they proceed moving forward at the point guard position remains to be seen.  Derek Fisher has indicated he’d like to return.  Jordan Farmar will be a restricted free agent and while he’s probably playing his best right now for the team – he’s not really a fit.

If the Lakers could get their hands on a Kirk Hinrich while simultaneously dumping off Sasha Vujacic’s contract (along with the expiring one of Adam Morrison) and possibly include Farmar – I could see LA making a move.  The Chicago Bulls are struggling.  Hinrich is expensive and hasn’t put up good numbers which has reduced his value.  A Laker deal might help the Bulls get further under the cap this coming summer – although I doubt they have any interest in Vujacic – and that might be a requirement on the LA side based on finances alone.

A couple of other names I’ve heard bantered about loosely are Kurt Thomas and Chris Duhon – but I would say it’s more likely than not the Lakers just hold firm and figure out their point guard question after the season.

Youtube’n It

The 8 Seasons of Gilbert

Danilo Galinari channels his inner Beyonce

Rock n Jock

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