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I’m a huge Curry fan for reasons statistical and aesthetic. But if the trade means Chandler and Paul in Oakland, if this is reality and not some toad-licked fantasy from the buzzing brain of a crazed GM: Do it.
Blogging about hoops can be a tricky pose because I often find myself teetering between fan and ersatz journo. When contemplating a Paul-Ellis-Wright-Lee-Chandler lineup, the thermometer swings wildly towards fan. Hell, it is difficult to type that lineup without hopping like a frog on lava lilies and howling at the moon till my soundwaves ebb new craters into that sucker. Holy amnesty, do it! DO IT!
Yes, we all know Chris Paul can leave in a fortnight. Let us set that large risk aside and look at the positives:
The Fit
This team fits together like gharial teeth. Tyson Chandler can compensate for David Lee on defense. Lee can give Chris Paul a pick-and-pop option in the David West mold. Unlike West, Lee also possess an elite dive and finish ability. If Paul once used his front court to bash opponents, these are brass knuckles. Worth noting: Chandler-Lee would be the league’s best rebounding front court.
And then there is Monta Ellis. I have long carped about Monta’s lack of efficiency. Advanced statistics aside, the dull thud of his endless high dribble evokes the feeling of being locked inside a cramped grandfather clock. But Ellis wasn’t always a possession-eating eyesore of a faux point guard. Quoting, from me:
“Curry can penetrate and dish to Ellis, but it’s not Steph’s speciality: It was Baron’s. Curry has court vision but doesn’t attack defenses in the spear-on-jellyfish manner that his PG predecessor mastered. Baron Daviswould launch his chubby body into the fray and Monta would emerged with daylight and a running head start.”
The penetrate-and-dish attack was death for defenses. They had to shift towards Baron’s slashing, and rarely had time to recover once Monta got the rock. If Chris Paul comes to Oracle, he’s bringing this hammer with him. While Monta’s size is a defensive concern, while Monta’s defense is a defensive concern, I’m thrilled to welcome back the proper deployment of his talent.
Oh, and Dorell Wright can shoot threes. Or somebody else can. On to the risk.
The Risk
Like Adam Lauridsen, I’m tired of rooting for a comfortably mediocre basketball team. Chris Paul is better than any Warriors player since B.C. times (Before Cohan). The Warriors are far from bottoming out and drafting high. They are far from improving their way to title contention. The only way for this team to get better is in the manner the Lacob-affiliated-Celtics did: Rapidly, through betting big on big stars. A frightful risk is necessary, today or tomorrow. If they have the will, it’s a matter of when.
More to the point, keeping Curry is a risk. He might well want to flee for Charlotte. Between Stephen’s public flirtation with the Bobcats and his new Charlotte-area house, GSW could be “renting” Curry in the way so many caution against “renting” Chris Paul’s talents.
The Pull
But why would Chris Paul stay? Because a healthy Chandler-Lee-Wright-Ellis-Paul team makes the Knicks look terrible by comparison. I was not there for the infamous blood pact wedding toast, I am not privy to why stars do what they do. But I do know this: They rarely leave for a worse team and less money. New York would certainly present the latter, and I believe they would present the former.
…
So: Yes, there are risks, but the Warriors have little to lose. Do it if you can. Amnesty Biedrins, sign Chandler, exceed the cap in pursuit of Paul. If this proves a disaster, let it at least drop them to the level of awfulness at which teams get great draft picks. The Bay Area is an incredible market, just waiting for an excuse to love basketball again. Prime the pump, get the point.
Ha! well it doesn’t look like its gunna happen, typical. You build your assets to get a shot at a top 10 talent and then you grow so attached that you can’t pull the trigger on a chance at serious contention status. The warriors wont get this chance again, Chris Paul has been lost and now Tyson Chandler. Top free agents just wont be drawn to the Bay area ever.
Goodluck at your mediocrity for years and years to come without top draft picks and the threat of Steph Curry leaving anyway.
would rather have seen rondo on the warriors if that rumor was true.
and if it was it was foolish to not take it.
According to a report from David Aldridge this morning, Paul has said he won’t extend if traded to GSW or LAC.
My favorite line of this whole post was ” The Bay Area is an incredible market, just waiting for an excuse to love basketball again.”
Trade away the face and future of this franchise???
“Yes, there are risks, but the Warriors have little to lose. Do it if you can. If this proves a disaster, let it at least drop them to the level of awfulness at which teams get great draft picks.”
I think I’m gonna be sick…
I agree, that would be an excellent team. They’d actually outperform their hype. If it’s possible for the Warriors to get that team, even just for one year, they need to do whatever it takes.
You know what would be an even better lineup….
Trade Curry and Lee for Paul. Then convince Chandler and Nene to join him and form their own big three in Oakland. Paul, Chandler, and Nene on 5 yr contracts for 12m first year (36m together), 12.5m second and third years, 13m for the final two years. They’d all be taking less money to build a great team, but they’d still be making over 12m for 5 yrs straight!
Nene’s true postition is PF, and he’d beast up on any in the league. He’d probably be less fatigued and more productive for not having to take on the biggest men on the floor every night.
PG – Paul / Jenkins / Lin
SG – Ellis / Thompson
SF – Wright / Free Agent (maybe Tayshaun Prince)
PF – Nene / Udoh / Tyler
C – Chandler / Tyler / Udoh
Well it sounds good anyway.
Personally I think Monte Ellis needs to go… It sounds crazy but as long as he is in the same backcourt as Curry, Steph won’t be able to develop. Monte touches the ball to much and with him gone Curry should get more points and assists. We could trade him for depth and if we get Chandler we would be dangerous. Maybe if we stick Curry and Thompson together and slow down our play some turnovers will go down, not to mention we’d have some size.
Ryan R,
How can you comment on trading ellis when after all these years you can’t even spell his name correctly. It’s Monta, with an A….How would our backcourt size increase with klay thompson, hes pretty much the same size as ellis with half the explosiveness. Curry and Klay are two perimeter shooters.
“Why would Chris Paul sign an extension anywhere? As with Deron Williams, cap rules strongly favor becoming free agent.” – John Hollinger. You can’t let Curry go without a Paul extension in place and that’s not going to happen. Get Chandler and then put your eggs in the Curry basket. It’s much more likely Curry stays long term than Paul signs an extension.
I suppose adding Biedrins to the mix would be our final ultimatum to NOH. But, if it all goes down: getting CP3 and Chandler, we’re heading into another rebuilding mode, no? If there’s no extension for CP3, who’s our leading PG now? Lin? Jenkins? Will that be the least of our worries? I don’t think Lacob and Co. wants that and they want to win NOW.
One thing I disagree with. Don’t let NO get off easy. If they really want Curry, they should be willing to take on Biedrin’s contract. I would offer Curry, Klay and Biedrins and say take it or leave it. That’s a price worth paying even if Paul walks, because then we could still potentially use our amnesty on Lee.
Well said!