Warriors News

"THE BAY AREA basketball and hockey seasons are over. The NFL draft and Kentucky Derby are history. And there'll be plenty of opportunities to watch the Giants and A's this summer. It's time to dial in the NBA playoffs, sports fans, and enjoy. Few things figure to be as compelling this sports year as the ongoing NBA conference semifinals. If you're waiting for the Finals to tune in, you're making a big mistake. "

"As the summer turns to fall, that lively mood will return. Chris Mullin will have signed Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins to the contracts they deserve. The draft, ideally, will have brought some help. A few tweaks here and there. To make it all work, though, the Warriors need a refreshed Nelson and a willing Baron Davis. The season ended in bizarre fashion, but neither of these men can let such a trifle spoil a good relationship. There's way too much fun to be had."

"As he was analyzing his first coaching job after getting fired from it, Avery Johnson said he received numerous phone calls from colleagues around the NBA. One of those fellow coaches was Golden State's Don Nelson, who ran afoul of owner Mark Cuban after he handed the reins to Johnson late in the 2004-05 season. That phone call did not include any disparaging remarks about Cuban. There was only one intent. "I just wanted to tell him he's a heck of a coach," Nelson said Friday. "

"Somewhere over on Maui, Don Nelson is firing up a foot-long cigar, sucking on an amber ale, peering out at a fabulous ocean sunset and chuckling that soft Nellie chuckle. Life has never been so good being out of the playoffs. Hey, you just coaxed 48 victories out of the winningest team never to make the NBA postseason. You never really had to see your club's biggest weaknesses fully exposed or deal with those pesky playoff expectations, and that little season-ending rift with Baron Davis blew out before it could ever really ignite. "

"The "We Believe" crowd had to be hurting when their Warriors just missed the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, which went to the Denver Nuggets. But watching the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant jackhammer the Nuggets four games to nil may have eased their pain a bit. No, not because the Nuggets got destroyed by an average of 13 points per game and let Kobe go off for 49 points in Game 2. This has nothing to do with revenge. It's just that the Warriors, with their late-season flop, avoided what likely would have been a similar fate. "

"Don Nelson benching Baron Davis for the second half at Phoenix has only one precedent. In the 1969 NBA Finals, Celtics versus Lakers, Game 7, Lakers coach Butch van Breda Kolff kept Wilt Chamberlain on the bench for the last six minutes and the Lakers lost 108-106."

"Who is the Bay Area's biggest load? We've got a bumper crop of loads, defined as "Something that weighs down or oppresses like a burden." A load is a player performing well below his expectations, and also sucking up so much money and/or playing time that he drags down his team now and into the future. It's hard to unload a load."

" Mickael Pietrus, Warriors. The team needed him more than ever, but Pietrus moped for three months after refusing to accept the fact nobody wanted him in free agency. Then after three great weeks that coincided with the club's best ball of the season, he got hurt and basically wasn't heard from again, costing the team a playoff spot."

"What happened in Phoenix will never be cool. The second-half benching of Baron Davis broke too many rules, even if Davis may have broken a couple himself. Say this for Don Nelson, though: He didn't need any help bringing down the hammer on an unsatisfying season. He deflated it all by himself."

"Don Nelson does weary dismay well. He plays it like an acerbic sage, a cross between Don Rickles and a community-theater Ben Franklin. He put the act into motion this week when he wanted to control reporters stoking the code-red scandal over Baron Davis' benching in Phoenix. "It would be funnier if it weren't so sad," he said of the media's frothing, mocking the idea that the unexpected hiatus meant anything at all. At a news conference before the Warriors' finale Wednesday, Nelson was asked whether he would have done anything differently this season, given the same roster. "Played Baron Davis last game," the coach said, pausing as he looked over the silent room. "That's a joke," he said, drawing the kind of laughter his sarcasm usually scores without explanation. To paraphrase the man himself, it would be funnier if it weren't so scary."

"Mullin made clear Wednesday that he would like to keep the central pieces of his team together, guaranteeing the return of Ellis and center Andris Biedrins, both up for restricted free agency, and expressing an expectation that Davis -- a potential unrestricted free agent -- would be back as well. That means to build on this season's six-win jump, Mullin will have to improve the supporting cast. Unless Davis does opt out of his $17.8 million salary, the Warriors don't have the room to go after a top-of-the-line free agent, and will have to use their mid-level exception if they choose to go that route. The team also has a $10 million trade exception that expires on June 28, and will be able to match any offer sheets that might be signed by Ellis, Biedrins or guard Kelenna Azubuike, another restricted free agent."

"1. BUILD A BENCH: This might just be Nos. 1 through 5 by itself. Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis all enjoyed career years this season, and yet the team still couldn't finish among the top eight members of the 15-team Western Conference. That's because the supporting cast was either injured (Austin Croshere, Troy Hudson), ineffective (Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus) or inexperienced (Marco Belinelli, Brandan Wright). That must be fixed, posthaste."

"Hours before the season came to a quiet close, Chris Mullin leaned back in a courtside seat at Oracle Arena and delivered his impromptu end-of-year address. Look-ahead time had arrived, and asked if he believed that Golden State had shifted toward becoming Monta Ellis' team, Mullin offered a decisive "No." "

"KELENNA AZUBUIKE, G, 8.5 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, 36.4 3-point field-goal percentage: Showed enough strength to hold his own at small forward. Now the question is if some other team likes him enough to throw too many dollars at the restricted free agent. Grade: B"

"The vibe at Oracle Arena on Wednesday might have best been described as the last day of school. Except in that setting, you usually have a good idea of who's graduating and who's going to be back the following year. Not so with the Warriors, who could see almost two-thirds of their roster depart during the summer via free agency. So before a final 126-121 loss to the visiting Seattle SuperSonics that dropped the team's final record to 48-34, Golden State vice president Chris Mullin did his best to try to add some clarity to the situation."

"The last thing Golden State needs heading into its busy offseason is a rift between its franchise coach and player. And according to Don Nelson and Baron Davis, that's the last thing the Warriors have. Davis, in his first public comments since being benched by Nelson for the second half of Monday's game in Phoenix, finally joined Nelson in brushing off the possibility of any lasting discord. "Not at all," Davis said..."We talked about it at shoot-around, before I even got to shoot-around, just laughing and joking. You're playing for Nellie, and you got to know what comes with it. And I'm fine; I'm fine in every aspect."

"At long last, it's over. You would think that after absorbing nearly as many losses in his first season as Sonics coach than his past three seasons as a San Antonio Spurs assistant that coach P.J. Carlesimo would be overjoyed now that this woeful season has finally crashed to an end. "I never feel good when a season ends," he said before Kevin Durant scored a career-high 42 points to lead the Sonics to a 126-121 victory against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. "It doesn't matter what your record is or if you win your last game. Any time you end a season, it's sad.""

"After a tumultuous 82-game season with the fate of the franchise still to be determined, P.J. Carlesimo leaned against a wall outside of the locker room at Oracle Arena and lauded the one bright spot of this disappointing season. Kevin Durant was at his absolute best Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors."

"Given 36 hours to ponder his decision, Warriors coach Don Nelson had no regrets over benching his franchise player, Baron Davis, for the entire second half of the defeat that formally eliminated Golden State from postseason contention. "I had a better chance to win that game without Baron Davis, the way that he was playing," Nelson said Wednesday of the Warriors' 122-116 loss in Phoenix on Monday. "That's the way I looked at it. ... That's a hard win at best. We certainly weren't going to win it the way Baron was playing, so I went with the other guys. I'm glad I did. I would do it again.""

"At the top of the list is who will be back next season, and Mullin finally began peeling away some of those uncertainties. He expects coach Don Nelson and Baron Davis to be back. He promised to bring Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins back. And just like last year, he said that finding (or developing) a rebounder and a low-post scorer remain high priorities as the Warriors try to move up in the West. Of all the pending personnel decisions that Mullin touched on, the most definitive news surrounded Ellis and Biedrins, the Warriors' precocious 22-year-olds whom Mullin said would both be back next season. "

"The Nelson predicament is complicated by the timing. Most potential replacements might be snapped up by other clubs by July, unless the Warriors have privately committed to the successor Nelson chose, assistant Keith Smart. But it's far from the only situation. Starting shooting guard Monta Ellis is a restricted free agent and in line for big money. Starting center Andris Biedrins is a restricted free agent and in line for good money. Mullin said both will be back, either by direct re-signing or by matching an offer sheet. Meanwhile, starting point guard Baron Davis, the emotional leader and best player, can opt out of the final season of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent, though that's unlikely because it would mean leaving $17.81 million on the table. The greater possibility is key reserve Kelenna Azubuike opting out, as the Warriors also must decide whom to bid for among their five other free agents: Matt Barnes, Austin Croshere, Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus and C.J. Watson."

"A YEAR AGO, the Warriors captivated a nation, including that warped world Charles Barkley lives in on TNT. Their 12-season playoff drought was about to end. Their high-tempo style was about to wallop the Dallas Mavericks in a history-making, first-round upset. Their future seemed so promising, so full of postseason berths. A year later, their playoff encore fell short, and we're left wondering who'll be back, whether the coach is at odds with the star player and what reinforcements are needed to end this, ahem, one-year playoff drought."

"In a budding feud that already might be hindering the Bay Area sports fan's viewing experience, the Warriors have filed a lawsuit aimed at the new Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. In a suit filed Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court, the team asked for declaratory relief that would allow the Warriors a closer inspection of the channel's ownership to determine whether the new deal breaches their broadcast contract."

"For Warriors coach Don Nelson, the mind-boggling question everyone wants answered is really a no-brainer. Why didn't he play Baron Davis in the second half of Monday's playoff-elimination game in Phoenix?"

"The Warriors didn't practice Tuesday, for obvious reasons. Nor were they available for casual conversation. Thus, we were left to our own devices to derive deeper meaning from Monday night's loss to Phoenix, which dismissed the Warriors from the playoffs before they even got there -- specifically the part where Don Nelson left an ostensibly healthy Baron Davis on the bench the entire second half."

"'Much needed rest," eh? Nice epitaph, all things considered. The Warriors, the team that redefined energy in last year's postseason, aren't participating in this year's because Baron Davis received some "much needed rest.""

"There is no reasonable explanation for leaving Baron Davis on the bench for the entire second half of a game during which the Warriors were facing mathematical elimination from the playoffs. And it's insulting to imply good intentions. "

"Subtle? Don Nelson definitely wasn't trying to be subtle or subliminal. Subtlety doesn't work often or very well in the NBA. This was not subtle. This was the furthest thing from subliminal, and kudos to Nelson for refreshing heavy-handedness, at last."

" The Warriors' final salary outlay for this season should clock in just above $60 million, which is well below the luxury-tax threshold of $67.9 million. But if Biedrins and Ellis sign long-term deals and return, they could easily take in a combined $15 million next season."

"Talk about playing through a distraction. The youthful SuperSonics, playing in what may have been the team's final game in Seattle after 41 seasons, posted a 99-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday."

" The final, faint hopes of earning a second consecutive playoff berth flickered to life during a third-quarter run where Golden State posted 15 consecutive points to flip a nine-point deficit into a six-point lead. But with a healthy Baron Davis -- the Warriors' captain, leading scorer and emotional center -- glued to the bench as he was throughout the second half, Golden State could not hold things together in the final 21/2 minutes, allowing the Suns to steal away with a 122-116 victory Monday night."

"As the inevitable became reality and the playoffs were officially closed to the Warriors, their locker room took on a funereal atmosphere Monday. Baron Davis, their grieving leader, trudged off with barely a word to match his barely there game - coach Don Nelson sat him the entire second half. In his absence, the Warriors met their season's end with tributes of all that had gone right, all that had been accomplished and ultimately, all that was not meant to be. "

"The Suns got some practice for the playoffs Monday, when they divided their game into a best-of-three series - controlling the first half, embarking on second-half disaster and then turning clutch with a 26-9 close to a 122-116 victory over Golden State."

"Amare Stoudemire scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and Phoenix recovered after blowing a 17-point lead to beat Golden State 122-116 Monday night, eliminating the Warriors from playoff contention."

"The Nuggets say winning 50 would be nifty, but they ended up needing only 49. The Nuggets clinched their fifth straight playoff berth Monday night when Golden State lost 122-116 at Phoenix. The Warriors (48-33) still can tie the Nuggets (49-32), but Denver is ensured of at least the Western Conference's No. 8 seed because it won the season series."

"For a franchise player who can rock his team by opting out of his contract this summer, Baron Davis sure sounded as if he wants to be back with the Warriors next season. "I want to win a championship here," Davis said Monday. "We've been to the playoffs, we're in a playoff run right now, so my whole thing is to bring a championship to the city, to the Bay Area. That would be great." Now, is that to say that Davis actually will be back? "I didn't say nothing," he added with a smile."

"Warriors guard Baron Davis is keeping all his options open. Davis will have the right this summer to opt out of his contract -- which is set to pay him $17.2 million next season -- and seek a more lucrative long-term deal. And as Golden State's captain closed Monday to within one step of his first 82-game season since 2001-02, he declined to offer any hint as to whether he's interested in finding a new team after 31/2 seasons in Golden State's employ."

"All the Warriors could do was watch, and it could not have been soothing for them to see the Nuggets demolish the Rockets on Sunday, thus deposing Golden State of its best lifeline in the playoff race. Forward Al Harrington, who had rooted on the Rockets for a night, knew where to turn his pom-poms next. "Time to cheer for Memphis," Harrington said of the Nuggets' final regular-season opponent. Time, though, has all but run out on Golden State's playoff bid. "

"Two months ago, Warriors guard/forward Mickael Pietrus stated repeatedly that he wished to be traded, no longer desiring to be a member of a team that was giving him sporadic minutes and making him play out of position. Now, he'd like to take those sentiments back... "I know everybody in the organization, I know every player, so for me, if they want me, I'll stay," Pietrus told the Times. "I think when you look at the team, I'm one of the fan favorites, and one of the team's franchise players, I hope, and then I would like to remain here if they are going to sacrifice for me.""

"Now, they wait. Everything broke in the Warriors' favor Saturday with Golden State holding off the Clippers 122-116 and the Nuggets getting hammered in Utah. "

" That "one thing" is all that stands between the Warriors and a chance at new life in their ever-twisting playoff quest. Rebounding from the crushing disappointment of Thursday's head-to-head loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Warriors held off the Los Angeles Clippers 122-116 in a wire-to-wire victory that felt anything but safely in hand for much of the evening."

"As the Warriors play out the string, praying for the minor miracle that would resuscitate their playoff hopes, I'm still stuck on Thursday night's season-smashing home loss to Denver and its two lasting images — a gassed starting lineup and a bench that deserved to be gassed."

"Warriors coach Don Nelson walked into the interview room before Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena and made a quick opening statement. Make that opening and closing."

"The efforts of Warriors forward Al Harrington have shown up on teammate Stephen Jackson's feet. Protege, the shoe company Harrington has been working to get off the ground for more than two years, unveiled its first shoe earlier this month: the StackJack-1, which Jackson began wearing earlier this month."

"The day will come, perhaps as soon as this weekend, when the Warriors will be forced to address the multitude of contract issues that shadow nearly everyone on their roster - including the franchise player and coach."

"There is no time allotted on the NBA schedule for grieving over missed opportunities. So instead of crying in their beer or over spilt milk or any other beverage of choice, the Warriors have to set aside the crushing disappointment of their 114-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, an outcome that put them just a couple of small steps from elimination."

"All-Star forward Elton Brand pushed hard in his rehabilitation from a blown Achilles tendon to get back this season, just to envision what the Clippers might have been like if not for his injury."

" A source close to the new Knicks boss says that Walsh is certain to make a coaching change and that former Knick Mark Jackson and former Bulls coach Scott Skiles are two candidates to replace Thomas. Knicks assistant Herb Williams and Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau also could be under consideration. Jackson's name also has been linked to the GM job. Former 76ers GM Billy King is another candidate and there is an outside chance that Walsh could make Jackson the coach while also bringing Chris Mullin back to New York."

"Everything was in place. The "We Believe" signs, the standing-room only crowd, the national stage. A year ago, a win was a given with the playoffs on the line. This year, belief is no longer enough. The head-to-head showdown the Warriors desperately needed to win to keep their playoff hopes afloat turned into a sinking disaster on Thursday, a 114-105 loss to the Nuggets that all but ended Golden State's playoff bid. "

"They broke out the "WE BELIEVE" signs at Oracle Arena on Thursday night, but it's getting monumentally difficult for all but the most ardent Warriors fans to maintain any belief in seeing Golden State in this year's postseason. Handed one final chance to shape its own destiny, Golden State simply and utterly ran out of gas, sputtering to a 114-105 defeat against Denver that, since it holds a tiebreaker advantage, leaves the Nuggets (48-21) two games clear of the Warriors (47-22) with only three to play."