2009-2010 Team Preview: Golden State Warriors
August 25, 2009 by Evil E
It’s time to dig deeper on Anthony Randolph.
LAST SEASON
The Warriors went 29-53, missing the playoffs for a ridiculous 14th time in the past 15 years.
They pushed the tempo once again, leading the league with a 98.2 pace factor and finishing 2nd with 108.6 points per game.
But of course, they struggled mightily on the defensive end, giving up a league-high 112.3 points per game while getting CRUSHED on the glass by an average of 5.1 boards every game.
Sure, Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Stephen Jackson, and Andris Biedrins missed a total of 131 games, but the problem was (has, and always will be) much deeper than that.
MANAGEMENT
Main Owner: Chris Cohan
General Manager: Larry Riley
Head Coach: Don Nelson
If Christopher J. Cohan isn’t the most inept owner in all of professional sports, then he’s certainly in the running for Top 5. Things started to go wrong in 1994, when Cohan sued several longtime friends (one was the best man at his wedding!) in order to become sole owner of the Warriors. That same year, the Warriors traded away Chris Webber, and Cohan’s truck was promptly stolen from his driveway (nice karma). Since then, the Warriors have won 451 games and lost 747, for a .376 winning percentage. Under Cohan’s ownership, the Warriors suffered the longest playoff drought of any team in NBA history, and I don’t need to tell fellow Warrior fans how ugly it’s been. From my perspective, it’s a bad joke that got old a long time ago.
In early July, a rumor surfaced that Cohan was in negotiations with Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison to sell the team because he was either “tired of losing” or “looking to cash out.” Unfortunately, nothing has happened yet, and the local media and fans won’t be able to rejoice until we see it with our own eyes.
And here’s what I want to see…
I want to see the Warriors win their season opener at home against the Rockets, as Aaron Brooks drops 25 and Monta drops 40. When the buzzer sounds, I want to see Chris Cohan escorted out of the arena by Stephen Jackson and Kelenna Azubuike. Maybe we can even get Joey Dorsey to help out for extra intimidation. Then once Cohan steps outside, I want to see him attempt a mad dash thru the Oakland parking lot amidst a sea of angry Warrior fans armed with ping pong paddles. Honestly, I would settle for just a public apology from Cohan (and team president Robert Rowell), but that’s never gonna happen. Ego trip, ego trip…
Of course, Don Nelson should be mentioned next, because Cohan is the man who re-hired him in 2006. While Nellie HAS made Bay Area basketball exciting again, his style of play isn’t conducive to postseason success, and he’s already 69 years old, so let’s hope that Keith Smart takes on a larger role this season and then fully takes over as head coach in 2010. Nellie has won a lot of games in the NBA, but he’s also developed rifts with many of the people that he’s encountered over the past few years (Jamal Crawford, Al Harrington, Baron Davis, Chris Mullin, Mark Cuban, local media, national media, etc. etc.).
Larry Riley is supposed to be Nellie’s good buddy, and he’s going to have a hard time convincing anybody otherwise. I wanted to give him a chance to prove himself, but after listening to him speak a couple of times and witnessing his first trade (Marco Belinelli to Toronto for Devean George and a bag of magic beans err “cash considerations,” it’s easy to see that he’s not the solution. At the very least, Riley should have demanded Bryan Colangelo to throw a future 2nd round pick into the deal. After all, the Raptors GM drafted Andrea Bargnani #1 overall in 2006, and he’s supposedly coveted his Italian friend Belinelli for quite some time. SOME team surely would have been willing to throw in a draft pick or two to get Belinelli’s instant offense, so Riley either didn’t know or didn’t care. I guess they really do hate their fans.
OFFSEASON MOVES
Key Additions: Stephen Curry, Devean George, Acie Law, Speedy Claxton
Key Losses: Jamal Crawford, Marco Belinelli, Rob Kurz, Marcus Williams
They didn’t acquire Amare Stoudemire, but the Warriors still made some noise this summer. Surprisngly, they were able to ship Crawford’s hefty contract (2 years, $19.44 million remaining) to Atlanta for Law & Claxton, opening up some much needed cap space. Speedy has been a Warrior before, and even if he can’t contribute on the court, he gives them another veteran presence. Acie Law’s NBA career has been a disappointment thus far, and he seems to be in an even WORSE situation than Marcus Williams was last year. If you recall, the Warriors gave up a future 1st round pick to land Williams, and then proceeded to play him just 54 minutes in the entire ‘08-09 season. Marcus signed with Memphis over the summer, and now Law has taken his place.
To replace Crawford, the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry with the #7 overall pick. If you’ve been following RotoEvil.com since day one, then you may remember me hyping Curry up in this post from March 20th, 2008.
“The first college hoops game I saw this season was Davidson vs. North Carolina on Nov. 14th. The Wildcats lost to UNC by 4 points, but they were in the game till the very end. I knew then that Stephen (pronounced “Steffenâ€) Curry could BALL and that Davidson was going to be my top tournament sleeper pick. Now that it’s March, let’s see what they’ve got. They’re on a nice roll (22 straight wins, the longest streak in the nation) and they’re experienced (3 seniors and 2 juniors in their top 6). Their “other†guy is just a sophomore, but he’s a pretty damn good one. Last year, he finished 2nd among all freshman in scoring with 21.5 points in just 30.9 minutes per game. Who was 1st? Some skinny kid named Kevin Durant, the #2 pick in the ‘07 NBA draft and possible Rookie of the Year this season. So where’s the love for Stephen Curry? Right here baby!”
That was BEFORE the 2008 NCAA Tournament started and BEFORE he was on the radar of most NBA teams (at the time, DraftExpress.com had not even projected him to get picked!). It was also right before Curry blew up and every hoops fan and their momma started talking about him. Needless to say, I’ve been a fan for awhile, and I’m pleased that my hometown team selected him. Is anyone out there still doubting my ability to decipher talent?
DEPTH CHART
PG: Monta Ellis / Stephen Curry / C.J. Watson? / Acie Law / Speedy Claxton
SG: Stephen Jackson / Anthony Morrow
SF: Kelenna Azubuike / Corey Maggette / Devean George
PF: Anthony Randolph / Brandan Wright
C: Andris Biedrins / Ronny Turiaf
ROTATION / PLAYING TIME
Since Don Nelson’s Warriors are the most unconventional team in the league (it’s not uncommon for him to play 4 swingmen at the same time), positions don’t really matter. He also has many potential lineups at his disposal and is the hardest coach to predict, as his rotations can vary from game to game or week to week. Nonetheless, here is how I see things shaking out…
Before the All-Star break, Biedrins averaged 13.0 points and 11.8 rebounds in 31.0 minutes. Afterwards, those numbers plummeted to 7.3 and 8.8 in 26.3 minutes. On the flipside, Turiaf averaged just 19.9 mpg before the break, but 24.4 mpg afterwards. For 2009-10, I’m projecting 30 mpg for Biedrins and 22-24 mpg for Turiaf, as Ronny plays a little power forward as well. Anthony Randolph averaged 25.3 mpg in 21 starts as a rookie, and I’m projecting 30-32 mpg for him in his sophomore season. Brandan Wright played well last year before he got hurt, but now that Randolph has passed him, he’ll have trouble getting more than 14 minutes per game.
Stephen Jackson played a whopping 39.6 minutes per game in ‘08-09, which was 2nd highest in the league behind Iguodala. However, the Warriors are deeper now, and if their key players can stay healthy, Capt. Jack might see his playing time reduced to a more reasonable 36-37 mpg. Monta Ellis missed 57 games last year, but he looked good in March, when he averaged 23.5 points in 37.4 minutes. Assuming his ankle is 100% healthy now, I’m projecting 35-36 mpg as he spends time at both guard spots.
Preseason Battle to Watch: Azubuike vs. Maggette vs. Morrow vs. Curry vs. Watson?
Azubuike has really blossomed in Oakland, and since he’s coming off a season in which he performed well while averaging 34.8 minutes in 50 starts, he has the inside track on being Golden State’s 5th starter. However, he could get anywhere from 26-34 mpg depending on the health and performance of the following players…
Maggette averaged 35.1 mpg in 19 starts last year, but he was much more effective off the bench, where he averaged 18.6 points in just 28.8 minutes. He also spent most of his time at power forward, but now that Randolph is ready for a bigger role, expect Corey to see less time at the 4, and I’m projecting his minutes fall below 28.0 for the first time since the ‘01-02 season.
After being ignored in the 2008 draft, Anthony Morrow has quickly become one of the league’s deadliest shooters. His 46.7% 3P shooting was tops in the entire league last season, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he made over half of his threes one of these years (that’s how money he is). He had a superb showing in the Vegas summer league, and he almost HAS to play nearly 24 mpg because he’s so good at making shots.
Even with Crawford and Belinelli gone, Curry will have a tough time finding minutes. The Warriors have plenty of quality guards, but Dell Curry’s son is the smallest and least experienced of them all. As a result, he’ll likely get just 14-18 mpg to start the season. Of course, if injuries hit and the Warriors fall out of playoff contention early, then Curry could see his minutes rise to well over 20 in the second half.
But if C.J. Watson sticks around, then that makes the backcourt situation even cloudier, as he proved last year to be a very capable backup combo guard. Even if he averages just 12 mpg (he averaged twice as many minutes in ‘08-09), Watson would take playing time away from both Curry (as the backup point) and Morrow (because Monta would play less PG and more SG if C.J. stays). And while it’s highly improbable that either Acie Law or Speedy Claxton will play meaningful minutes in 2009-2010, it’s woth noting that Speedy averaged 13.1 points, 6.2 dimes, and 1.9 steals the last time he wore a Warriors jersey (in ‘04-05).
Odd Man Out: Brandan Wright
It’s way too early to give up on Brandan Wright. The guy is extremely long (7′4 wingspan), very active around the basket, and a solid defender. He also doesn’t turn 22 until October, so he still has plenty of upside. Unfortunately, the guy below is a much more skilled offensive player with even greater upside. As a result, Wright is now the backup power forward. He could be very productive in such a role, but he could also lose even MORE playing time to physical players like Maggette, Azubuike, and Turiaf. Not only is he the odd man out for THIS season, but he could be out of Golden State’s future plans completely, in which case he could be sent packing before the trade deadline (for less value most likely).
DON’T SLEEP ON: Anthony Randolph
There are going to be 3 types of fantasy basketball managers this year: 1) the guy who is clueless about Anthony Randolph’s current opportunity and future potential, 2) the guy who is ALL OVER Randolph, and 3) the guy who is intrigued by AR’s skills, but is worried that there’s already too much hype and thus he’ll probably avoid him on draft day. I used to be a #3 guy, but now I’m a #2 man. How come?
Well, his stellar summer league performance certainly helped. The 20-year old TORE IT UP to the tune of 26.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 3.0 blocks in 4 games in Vegas. Randolph made over 60% of his field goals, and he got to the line a rock solid 9.8 times per game. He was a man amongst boys, but that was just 4 summer league games, and the youngster has yet to prove himself over a whole NBA season.
Now, most fantasy owners who think they know what they’re doing will examine Randolph’s rookie split stats and use the games that he started as a baseline stat projection for the upcoming season. Not a bad idea, right? That 21-game sample gives you averages of: 25.3 minutes, 10.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.05 steals, 1.38 blocks, 1.4 turnovers, and 2.8 free throw attempts per game on 48.1% FG and 77.6% FT shooting. Good stuff.
But RotoEvil always digs deeper, and Randolph is the perfect example. To get a better idea of what he’s capable of, I suggest you use this 22-game sample instead: take the 23 games that he played in March and April, subtract the 3/19 game where he played just just 92 seconds before leaving with a groin injury, subtract the 3/22 game where he played just 11 minutes because he was easing his groin back into action, and then add his “coming out party” game on 2/18 against the Lakers. Using those games, Randolph’s averages jump up to: 28.0 minutes, 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.09 steals, 1.73 blocks, 1.3 turnovers, and 3.7 free throw attempts per game on 49.8% FG and 72.8% FT shooting (only his free throw accuracy worsened).
Now use THOSE stats as a baseline, consider that he was the YOUNGEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE last year, realize that he’s going to take on a larger role this season and should continue improving for quite some time, and then glance at his summer league stats again. Now what do you see? From a fantasy perspective, I see a better shooting Josh Smith. Judging by sheer talent, I see the strengths of Lamar Odom, Rudy Gay, and Tyrus Thomas all rolled into one. Clearly, the kid has tons of potential, and now he just has to maximize it. Previous All-Star power forwards who have worn the #4 include: Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, and Charles Barkley. Is Randolph next in line???
What type of Fantasy Basketball manager are you?
- 2) I'm going to be all over him. No way he falls past pick #70. (72%, 172 Votes)
- 3) I'm still cautious. I'll only take him if he falls past pick #100. (25%, 60 Votes)
- 1) I'm still clueless about Anthony Randolph. (3%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 240
Loading ...BE CAREFUL OF: Stephen Jackson
In 8-cat leagues, Jackson was a Top 20 fantasy player for most of last season. His all-around stats were superb, as the only other player to average 20+ points, 5+ boards, 6+ assists, 1.5+ steals, and 1.5+ threes last season was LeBron James. However, there are several reasons why those stats are bound to decline in 2009-2010.
For starters, it will be nearly impossible for him to play more than the 39.6 minutes per game that he averaged last year. If his minutes were to fall to say, 36.6 mpg, that would be an 8.2% decline in playing time, which would surely have a negative impact on his stats. Having a healthy Monta Ellis around for the entire season will also hurt Jackson. In the month of March (when Ellis started to look like his old self), Stephen averaged just 19.2 points on 16.5 field goal attempts and 4.9 free throw attempts per game. In the 48 games before that (when Ellis was either out or still recovering), Jackson had averaged 21.1 points on 17.0 field goal attempts and 6.3 free throw attempts per game, so he clearly got more opportunities to score when Monta was sidelined.
Surprisingly, Jackson’s assists per game went up from 6.4 to 6.7 in the month of March, but now that Ellis is focused on playing point guard and the newcomer Curry will also play PG, it’s unreasonable to expect Jackson to duplicate last year’s assist numbers. And let’s not forget about all of Stack-Jack’s negatives: he EASILY led the league with 3.9 turnovers per game last year, he’s missed a total of 39 games over the past 3 seasons, and he’s NEVER shot over 43.5% from the field in his 9-year career. If you draft him expecting to get last year’s averages, you’ll be making a big mistake.
Prospect to Keep an Eye on: Stephen Curry
It might take him awhile to adjust, but Curry will eventually become a very good NBA player. For his rookie year, keep an eye on how well he runs the pick-and-roll with Anthony Randolph, and how he finishes once he gets into the lane. He could be a Top 150 fantasy player this season if he gets enough minutes, but that’s unlikely to happen right away.
Most Likely to Miss 20+ Games: Corey Maggette
This one’s a no-brainer, as Maggette has missed an average of 19.4 games over his last 9 seasons. He’s very strong for his size, but the way he attacks the basket (8+ free throw attempts per game for 6 years running) does not bode well for his overall health. Corey seems to hurt his hamstring at LEAST once a year, and his recovery time is usually on the slower end of the spectrum. He also turns 30 in November, so he’s no longer a young buck. With plenty of talented players waiting to steal his minutes, Maggette better hope that he can stay healthy, or he could be in for a long season.
Most Likely to Put Up Big Stats After an Injury: Anthony Morrow
Many people consider Morrow to be a 1-dimensional player, but he tries to hit the boards hard and he could become a decent defender if his work ethic stays strong. In 16 starts last year, he averaged a very respectable 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, .25 blocks, and 2.1 threes in 34.4 minutes while shooting 46.7% FG, 44.7% 3P, and 86.3% FT. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to take teams by surprise anymore, and it might take an injury for him to get major minutes. However, from both a fantasy and reality perspective, Morrow is a great player to have on your bench. Don’t expect him to be a Top 100 player this season, but he has that kind of potential. If your league includes BOTH threes made and 3P%, then shoot him up your rankings.
PLAYER PROFILES / RANKING POTENTIAL
Monta Ellis
As mentioned above, Ellis started to look like his old self in March, averaging 25.0 points, 4.8 boards, 4.8 dimes, 1.6 steals, and .3 treys on 48.8% FG and 86.0% FT shooting over his last dozen games. He doesn’t make many threes, but that’s actually a good thing, as it keeps his FG% much higher than most guards. For the upcoming season he’s going to play a lot of point guard, so he should have no problem improving on his career-high of 4.1 assists per game. You shouldn’t use a 2nd round pick on him (in 12-team leagues), but he has that kind of potential.
Lock For: Top 75
Good Shot At: Top 50
Potential For: Top 25
Stephen Jackson
See above.
Lock For: Top 70
Good Shot At: Top 50
Potential For: Top 30
Andris Biedrins
Almost exactly one year ago, I chose Biedrins as my Warriors player not to sleep on. He responded by being one of the best fantasy centers around for the first three months of last season, posting 13 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.6 blocks nearly every game. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle in February and he wasn’t the same afterwards. He still has a very good chance of averaging a double-double again, but don’t be surprised if Randolph steals some of his touches on offense and some of his rebounds on defense. Turiaf is also one of the best backup centers in the league, so Andris can’t afford to get hurt or play below his abilities.
Lock For: Top 100
Good Shot At: Top 70
Potential For: Top 40
Anthony Randolph
See above.
Lock For: Top 110
Good Shot At: Top 75
Potential For: Top 50
Kelenna Azubuike
After drafting Azubuike in multiple leagues last year, here’s what I said about him:
“A lot of people are high on Matt Barnes, because he’s now starting for Phoenix. Some people are keen on Pietrus, because he’s now starting for Orlando. But where’s the love for Azubuike?!? Corey Maggette is going to help replace the scoring punch that Baron & Monta provided, but who’s going to replace everything that Barnes & Pietrus did? That would be one of my favorite Warriors and the man with the bulging biceps: Mr. Azubuike. In 17 starts last season, he averaged 12.9 points, 5.4 boards, and 1.5 threes per game. With a bigger offensive role this season, he could improve on those stats, making him a solid fantasy option to have on your bench. There’s a good chance he went undrafted in your league, so I suggest keeping a close eye on him so you can swoop him up before someone else does.”
Well, did you listen? Kelenna chipped in with a little bit of everything last season, and he proved to be a very reliable fantasy option. However, the fact that Ellis, Jackson, and Maggette combined to miss 111 games certainly helped. He’s still one of my favorite Warriors, but you should expect a slight decline in 2009-10.
Lock For: Top 175
Good Shot At: Top 125
Potential For: Top 80
Corey Maggette
See above.
Lock For: Top 180
Good Shot At: Top 130
Potential For: Top 90
Anthony Morrow
See above.
Lock For: Top 180
Good Shot At: Top 140
Potential For: Top 100
Ronny Turiaf
Last season I chose Turiaf as one of my “Career Year Candidates,” stating the following:
“I’ve heard many Lakers talk about how much they’re going to miss Ronny Turiaf, and the Warriors paid him big bucks because they need his help in the paint. In ‘06-07, he averaged 2.6 blocks but also 6.7 fouls per 36 minutes, showing how foul prone he was. But in ‘07-08, he increased his blocks to 2.7 per 36 while decreasing his fouls to 4.9, suggesting that he may be ready for more playing time. He’s not going to start, but he could get just enough minutes off the bench to have value. It may take him awhile to adjust to the Warriors’ running gunning game, but once he does, I think he’s going to excel. If you feel like drafting a 3rd center, there are many worse picks than Turiaf.”
Sure enough, Ronny really struggled to start the season, averaging a meager 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds on 38.9% FG shooting in November. But he quickly adjusted and put up stellar numbers after that, making him one of the best free agent big man pickups of the season. As a result, he’s unlikely to go undrafted in 2009.
Lock For: Top 180
Good Shot At: Top 150
Potential For: Top 110
Stephen Curry
See above.
Lock For: Top 250
Good Shot At: Top 200
Potential For: Top 150
EVIL’S PREDICTIONS
Projected Record: 37-45
Projected Finish: 4th in Division, 10th in Conference
Crunch Time Lineup: Ellis, Jackson, Azubuike, Randolph, Turiaf
+/- Curveball Lineup: Curry, Ellis, Morrow, Jackson, Biedrins
Pleasant Surprise: Monta Ellis makes a smooth transition to point guard, setting up his teammates well as he still leads the team in scoring. Both Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow have excellent sophomore seasons, showing that they’re ready to become stars sooner rather than later.
Biggest Disappointment: Despite battling the Suns and Clippers all season long for the 8th and final playoff spot out West, the Warriors fade down the stretch and miss the playoffs YET AGAIN. Not only does Maggette get injured as usual, but he complains about his reduced role and struggles when he gets on the court.
Bold Prediction: Anthony Randolph will become a Top 60 fantasy player this year by averaging close to 14.4 points, 8.8 boards, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks on 48.4% FG and 74.4% FT shooting. He’ll also end up being more valuable than ALL of the following forwards (likely to be selected before him in most drafts): Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, Charlie Villanueva, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, and Carlos Boozer. He won’t make many threes or drop many dimes this year, but those will come in due time. By the time he’s 23, Randolph will be a Top 25 fantasy player and one of the top power forwards in the league. Eventually, he WILL follow in the footsteps of Bosh, Webber, and Barkely by making multiple All-Star appearances.
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*This Golden State Warriors team preview was published by Eric Wong of RotoEvil.com on August 25th, 2009. If you enjoyed reading it, please bookmark the site and check out the other free team previews.
If you want to get ALL of the team previews (including updates to this one), stat projections & analysis for 360+ players, in-depth sleeper & strategy articles, and the best draft ratings, player rankings, tiers, and cheatsheets around, then stay tuned for his 2009-2010 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide. Join hundreds of satisfied customers, and you’ll get everything you need to win your fantasy hoops league.
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I know you love comments on the poll question, so here goes….When I read your 3 categories for Randolph, I was thinking that category 2 would have meant a top 50 selection (not top 70) as I think people are jonsing on him that much. I’m down for top 70ish value. I’m not down for top 50, although that’s possible.
Nice job explaining the PT breakdown for this unconventional team. I agree that Curry probably won’t see as many minutes (especially early) as many owners believe. I think its going to take some time before Curry develops into something more than a shooter in the NBA. He certainly has more playmaking upside than Morrow…but its probably going to take some time to figure out when to pass/when to shoot…and what is the right pass. In the interim, Morrow will likely see more minutes than Curry. It will be intersting to see how many minutes Monta/Curry/Morrow get on the floor together. Monta could drive and, if he’s doubled, Curry and Morrow could spot up for open shots. Of course Nellie will throw these 3 on the court together at times…regardless of how it will screw up the defense.
I think GS underutilized Turiaf as a PF playing next to Biedrins and I hope they use that more conventional line-up at times. Turiaf can hit the mid range jump shot, and he adds a lot of toughness to the team. I know Nellie doesn’t like going big, but he could really mess with some teams by playing these 2 line-ups for healthy minutes each game: Monta-Jax-Randolph-Turiaf-Biedrins and Monta-Morrow/Curry-Jax-Maggette-Biedrins
Thanks Hunter. I certainly DO love it when people comment on their poll choices.
Looking at my site stats, I’ve run 52 polls, and there have been over 8,600 total votes casted. Of those, maybe 1% have actually commented on their vote.
Anyway, I see what you’re saying about Randolph maybe going in the Top 50. Articles like this one certainly aren’t going to help! He has a CHANCE to crack the Top 50, but drafting him in the 60’s makes a lot more sense.
Nellie really fronted on Turiaf & Biedrins playing together last season. The few times that I saw him do it I thought the lineup was very effective, but alas, it didn’t happen very often.
Oh yeah, in the Offseason Moves section, I forgot to mention that they hired former Warrior Calbert Cheaney to be a special assistant!
sure, you can’t project too many minutes of Bieds and Turiaf on the court at the same time because we’re talkin’ Nellie. Its like AI talkin’ practice. Golden State has some very nice pieces and, if Nellie was willing, they could match up well with most teams. However, I just don’t think Randolph or Wright are strong enough to play major minutes (effectively) on defense at the 4 (and sure, defense isn’t always at the top of Nellie’s list). Randolph has enough skill to play SF…and giving him 17 minutes at each of the forward positions would probably work well for this team (provided Nellie gave Turiaf 17ish minutes at PF).
Nevertheless, this team is going to score points. Morrow and Curry are 2 of the better outside shooters in the league. Ellis might be the top mid-range shooter in the league. Jax is one of the more versatile non-elite players, being able to shoot the J and post up smaller defenders. Maggette can go off for 20 points on any given night. Randolph has a decent mid-range J and he’s going to be awesome on fast breaks (either leading the break or finishing it). Azubuike became a great outside shooter last year and he has a nice first step when he wants to go to the basket. Bieds is developing into one of the better offensive rebounders in the league (just what a shooting team needs…more second chances). For those of you who sign up for League Pass, this is definitely one of the more entertaining teams to watch.
*Major props to anyone who knows the song playing in the Azubuike video. One of my all-time favs.
Andre Nickatina – Killa Whale
Awesome song. Mainly just a reader, but love the information (and Music forum), bought your guide and smashed a couple leagues and finished T5+ in all of them despite being my first time fantasy basketball leagues.
Nice one SlowRoll.
But that’s Dre Dog, not Andre Nickatina. Yeah, I know they’re the same person but back when he was Dre Dog he was much harder.
I dunno where you’re from, but here in Cali, almost every high school and college kid these days knows about Nickatina. From black city kids to white suburb kids to everyone in between. Nickatina has fun party vibes, but back when he was Dre Dog that was the raw uncut killa whale chewy shit haha.
But yeah, mad props. Feel free to keep commenting. I didn’t know that anyone even KNEW about the music forum.
Cool. 
Right you are on the name… I’m a Midwesterner (Cleveland) so I was actually introduced to him during his Andre Nickatina days, but of course discovered his older stuff quickly thereafter.
Just a music fanatic in general so like finding any kind of new music/artists to explore.
cool. Well, music is on the backburner for me right now, but hopefully this season I’ll drop a mix or two of some of my favorite stuff.
Wow , I do not think that I have seen such a definitive pick of a young player headed to all star status since Le Bron or Timmy and those guys were drafted #1
As you know I have AR on one of my keeper teams and he’ll be staying.
CBS fantasy writers have been holding their own mock draft
http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybasketball/story/12078193
and to date there is no sign of Randolph so I have to question just how far the news has spread?
On a side note NZ had a marvellous victory over Australia last night with a winning margin of 20 points ……The Aussie team featured Maverick Nathan Jawai ….look for him to be traded away , we know Cubes standing on his contracted players fronting up for country!
I dunno who Jeff Lippman is, but that fool took Chris Duhon at pick #101 when AR was still available! But the nice thing about fantasy sports is that there are a lot of Jeff Lippman’s out there.
I still haven’t gotten to see Natahan Jawai in game action!! Is that guy anything more than a big body or what? Are there any players that I’d recognize from the New Zealand team? Is that guy Kirk Penney still ballin??? Sean Marks? Any Samoans??
E …Kirk Penney played last night and performed a “leadership role” being the elder statesman on the team ….The ‘tall blacks’ have been struggling to find form and identity since Tab Baldwin stood down from the coaching position and we are seeing a lot of new and young players in the team. Mika Vukona was the scoring standout but the big surprise was being able to limit the Aussies to one shot per trip as an unknown 22yr old Center named Alex Pledger owned the paint and rebounded with ferocity …..he will undoubtedly earn himself a contract with one of the pro teams down here. Sadly no sign of Sean Marks ….unhearalded I know but the guy gives you all he’s got and is a real Kiwi favourite
That CBS mock draft …..I thought the selection of Zach Randolph with the 16th pick was one huge stretch , and then in the guys blog he justified it by telling us that Center is a shallow position . It’s not that shallow! Brook Lopez didn’t go till round 4 Nene round 6 Spencer Hawes round 6 …..Add to that the fact that Zach Randolph comes with baggage aaand a high injury risk.
some of these mock drafts have limited value. I mean, no one is taking Z-Bo with pick 16 in any real draft….not if that team wants to contend. I saw an early yahoo mock draft (only 5 rounds) where someone picked Murphy with pick 15. To justify pick 15, Murphy not only has to repeat last year’s numbers…he probably has to improve on them. As E has said in some other thread, you don’t win your league picking Murphy in the second round.
as for Duhon, he could easily be worth more than Randolph IF the Knicks don’t get around to signing another PG. Given Walsh’s desire to hold onto 2010 cap space, he may not get around to signing Sessions (even at a reduced rate) or other starting-caliber PG and Duhon may end up getting 32ish minutes/game. Until his back limited him last year, he was arguably a top 50ish player. Anyway, given the current state of affairs in NY, hard to fault someone for taking Duhon #101. That’s a cheap 7ish assists, 1+ steal and 1.5 3-pointers made IMO.
in related news, if we had voted to see a free Knicks preview, I’m not sure how E would have pulled off something today that would have had a lot of value by October 1. There’s not a single team with more unanswered roster questions at this time.
I clicked on the link to see that CBS mock draft. The mock is based on a scoring system that I don’t think is widely used. Assists are worth 2 points and points/boards/steals/blocks are each worth 1 point. 3 point shooting doesn’t appear to register anything, other than the points. Anyway, in a system where assists are worth twice as much as rebounds…and given the current state of the Knicks’ roster, I could certainly see Duhon being picked ahead of A.Randolph.
I still don’t get the Z-Bo selection with pick 16, but I do see that its a league that starts 2 centers. I could understand the desire to get a top center early…so the theory was passable. its the execution of that theory that stunk.
Good article E! Randolph has my vote, No.2, he dominated in the summer league. And he was a late season pick for me last year and a pleasant surprise but my one concern, as for any GS player is don nelson… But I gotta believe that Randolph is so good that even nellie can’t mess this up with his numerous line-up changes.
Al Hirt – Harlem Hendoo
love that shit
Thanks dmc.
jonny – do you have any al hirt albums?
if i do i don’t know..i do have an mp3 of Harlem hendoo
f that…i’m gonna get the album that track is on.
Thanks E… as always GREAT reviews for all 5 teams… summer is always slow and usually I am not so active but the season is getting closer and as somebody said in a previous post can’t wait for the draft guide…
About Randolph (in fact in my opinion it’s not about Randolph it’s rather about the “unconventional†wisdom of Nellie?!)… as long as this guy is the coach I have only Monta, Captain Jack and Biedrins in top 100… yeah several other guys have the potential but I am not drafting them because of the risk/reward thing and mainly because of NELLIE…
E, great write-up as always. I’m definitely in category 2, no way he lasts past the 8th round (in 10 team). I’m eying 6th round or is that a reach? I know one other person in my league is looking for him too, as we were talking about AR all summer, and loved what he did during games late last season.
Thanks Damian and Side.
Damian – I hear ya about Nellie, but last year Randolph was a 19-year old rookie, so Nellie had plenty of reason to hold him back. But considering what he did at the end of the season and especially over the summer, the fans now know what Randolph can do, so if Nellie doesn’t start him and give him big minutes there’s going to be a mutiny. As much as GSW management seems to not care about their fans, not playing AR could be the final straw for a lot of people…
Side – 6th round in a 10 teamer is probably perfect. If you let him fall further then he could be gone, any earlier and that’s probably too bold.
Excellent preview of GSW! In theory, you could have 8 or 9 Warriors on your team and not be a complete tool. You’d still be a tool, just not a complete one.
I predict ‘ADolph’ will be a much cheaper version of Crash this year(w/o the injury concerns
). I snatched him up in my league with 74th pick, because his plus side was too great to pass up at that value. Maybe I couldve got him in next round, but the guys I was considering ahead of him(Bargs/Gay/CV/Mayo) all got snatched up, so what the hell, right?
Even if he doesn’t attain consistent minutes and Nellie is still somewhat holds him back or messes with his minutes, he will no doubt have better production than last year on the whole. If he can sustain his Mar/Apr production for an entire year I will be pleased. If he can do better, then I got a steal. I think he will really have an oppurtiny to really break out.
Stephen Jackson might be the odd man odd literally. He just demanded a trade and wants to play for a playoff-caliber team.
Oh man, Capt. Jack demands a trade!! I have been a fan since he stepped up and balled for the Spurs in the playoffs during the 2002-2003 championship run. Are you hearing anything about possible destinations? He said he’d like to join a contender or the Knicks. He’s actually very reasonably priced in my opinion so I think the Warriors would be wise to make some concessions for him and keep him on board (IE get on the phone with Chris Wallace and try to hijack some value).
It obviously depends on what Golden State could get back, but trading Jackson, a guy who not only plays 40mpg but also frequently has the ball in his hands would drastically change the fantasy landscape on this team. I know I’d personally like to see Stephen Curry get a little more action than you have him penciled in for this season. How do you feel about this as a Warriors fan?
This is nothing new for Warrior fans, and it’s not going to change until the root of the problem (ownership and management) is pulled out and tossed into the ocean for the sharks to feed on.
That being said, I don’t really see any of the teams that Jackson wants to go being willing to trade for him. Maybe Dallas since he’s burned them plenty of times. But who would they give up? Jose Juan Barea? I don’t see it happening.
Stack-Jack needs to sack up and lead this team like he’s supposed to!
I realise there is actually a position disparity but if Capt Jack wants NY so bad what about a sign and trade for David Lee …It’d certainly help my fantasy team
Ellis’ value probably goes up a good bit if Jax is traded. Curry will probably get alot of extra run too. Basically, If you own anyone on GSW not named SJax, this is probably good news cuz he was a high usage guy…. there’s no telling who/what they may be looking to bring in to replace him, but assuming whoever they get isn’t better than him, this is good news.
E,
I just want to say these previews are very in depth and keeps me checking your site every week. Well done.
When will your fantasy draft guide be out this season?
How about in a keeper league? About where would you put Randolph then?
Coffeeman the rating of Lock for 110 potential for 50 should give you the clue as to where to pick him up.
We don’t know your league size or if its a mid term keeper or an actual dynasty league…specifics Bob.
Personally I’m in a 5yr keeper, 9 cat roto , with 8 to keep ….AR will be one of those eight.:wink:
Golden State is a tough team to gauge as they are legimately 12 deep and there are only so many minutes to go around. Coupled with Nellie the enigma, the guy you draft could get left out in the cold.
If there are a slew of injuries, holding a healthy Warrior player will likely prove to be a wise investment but barring that, guys like Morrow, Azuibuke, Turiaf, Watson, even Beidrins and Randolph could all wind up well below the mpg predictions Evil makes above.
I still really like Randolph after picking him up in most of my leagues late last season but now I’m betting that he ends up going far too soon in most fantasy drafts because he’s become THE sleeper pick of 2009 which has arguably made him overrated as a result.
I have done 3 drafts so far and Randolph has gone in the late 50’s or early 60’s in each of them. I don’t think he can be considered a sleeper when Yahoo has him ranked as the 72nd player in the draft. BIG