| Wobbling Warriors Shaky Again Authored by Leigh Ellis - November 4, 2008 - 3:06 pm
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The Warriors won a lot of games back then. While they didn't reap any championship glory, they were always fun and exciting to watch. More than ten years later, Mullin obviously felt it was worth trying again.
Nelson’s unpredictable and unorthodox style might not be in too many coaching manuals, but for some reason, it seems to work in Oakland.
Once again, Nelson showed that he had the golden touch. The Warriors snuck into the postseason on the last day of the 2006-07 season and electrified the NBA. They made a mockery of their eighth-seeded status as they stunned the heavily-favored, top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in six games.
The Warriors hadn’t made the playoffs for twelve seasons prior to their 2007 success. Nelson, it seemed, was all they needed. He was in charge last time they qualified for the postseason and in his first year back, the Warriors were a success once again.
Baron Davis was tailor-made to run Nelson’s offense. The stocky point guard loved to run and could shoot the three-pointer with the best of them. He loved Nelson's style and Nelson appeared loved him.
In Jason Richardson and Monta Ellis, Davis had the perfect pair of running mates. The fans played their part too, feeding off the player's energy and returning it with plenty of their own. They made Oracle Arena a very unwelcome place for out-of-towners.
Defeating Mark Cuban's Mavericks, the guy who was still feuding with Nelson, made the victory even sweeter.
The Jazz spoiled the party by knocking the Warriors out of the playoffs in the next round, but it looked like Golden State was set up to be a legitimate playoff contender for many years to come.
How quickly things can change.
Golden State plays the same way they seem to always have, but just as they were about to be taken seriously, they are now in danger of turning back to their dysfunctional ways.
Coach Nelson is still there, but Davis and Richardson are both gone and Ellis is far away from his return. Now, one of the Warriors’ most talented players, Al Harrington, has asked to be traded. The ever-fragile Warriors are on the brink of imploding again.
To make matters worse, Golden State didn't get anything significant in return for either Davis or Richardson. Baron surprised many when he bolted for the L.A. Clippers over the summer as a free agent. Somewhere along the line, negotiations broke down between Davis and management. To rub it in even further, Davis joined the Clippers.
No player ever voluntarily joins the Clippers!
Certainly a contributing factor in his departure was that he and Nelson had a disagreement in the penultimate game of last season. In the game in question, the Warriors played the Suns in a battle that would eliminate the loser from playoff contention. Davis, uninjured, was benched for the entire second half with Nelson believing his star wasn’t performing to the level expected of him.
The honeymoon was officially over.
Richardson's departure wasn't by choice. Mullin dealt him just after Golden State's playoff run in 2007 to Charlotte for rookie prospect Brandan Wright.
Taken eighth overall in the 2007 draft, Wright barely got a chance to play in his rookie season, averaging less than ten minutes per game in only 38 appearances.
Nelson is tough to impress during even the best of times, but a rookie and a big man? At this point, Wright probably wishes he had stayed in school for another year.
Monta’s problems were totally self-inflicted, yet still reflect back on the wobbly franchise. Foolishly riding a moped during the summer, Ellis crashed and severely injured his ankle. The team decided to suspend the guard for thirty games. The injury is expected to cost Ellis significant time anyway, but it's still a huge, clumsy blow for him and the team.
Now, Mullin's job appears to be in jeopardy. He is in the final year of his contract and things don’t look good for him heading into next season. When asked recently about Mullin's status, president Robert Rowell said that he would be “evaluated at the end of the season”.
That's never a good omen.
One of the lasting images of the 2007 NBA Playoffs was Davis hammering a dunk over the long arms of Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko. Davis played up to the raucous crowd, lifting his shirt up and welcoming the adulation.
That play now feels like it took place a million years ago, as the Warriors once again have to pick up the pieces.
Questions or comments for Leigh: thedailyhurt@hotmail.com |
