Time for a Golden Coaching Change

In the 2006-2007, many Warriors fans were filled with so much excitement when the news of Coach Mike Montgomery stepped down from the Head Coach, only for the position to be filled by the successful, yet championship-less, Don Nelson.  With Nelson, fans were eager to see the up-tempo, run and gun style that he would bring to a team that would be headed by an all-star in Baron Davis, only because we have seen the success of Nelson with players such as Tim Hardaway and Steve Nash.  Don Nelson was able to coach this rather dysfunctional team to the playoffs after a 13 year playoff drought.   He was able to coach Baron Davis, a player that would only play under Paul Silas.  He was able to coach Stephen Jackson, a guy who went out into the Detroit Pistons stands only to brawl with a couple of Piston fans.  In addition, Jackson has been caught for firing guns outside of strip clubs.  (How the hell did Don Nelson control these guys?)   However, I believe that Don Nelson was a coach that was better suited for the team that was once bound for glory, not the team of current.

 

Reason #1:  Can Don Nelson turn Monta Ellis into a leader?  I think not.  From Tim Hardaway, to Steve Nash, to Baron Davis…..to Monta Ellis?  Sure Monta has the potential to be star, and perhaps is a star already.  But I think the fact is, being the highest paid player on the Warriors, can he be a leader?  Don Nelson was only successful with point guards who flourished in the open court and were the sole leaders of the team.  I don’t think that Monta can make the players around him better.

 

Reason #2:  Can Stephen Jackson be patient enough to wait on his very young, but improving cast of rookies, d-leaguers, and second year players to reach their potential.  Again, I think that this is highly unlikely.  I think that Stephen Jackson will want out before this happens.  I know he got his contract extension, but he is in the peak of his career, why would he wait on these young players to develop?  I think he will be traded this offseason, as he is the only valuable asset in which the Warriors can give up and that veteran teams in contention of a championship run desire.

 

Reason #3:  Style of play has dramatically changed, which I believe had a great deal to do with the attitude of the team.  I think the Warriors of old thrived on dysfunction, improvisation, and hustle.  The Warriors of now are starting to become one dimensional.  While they still do get up and down the court every now and then, they have lost that swagger and confidence that carried the 2007 Warriors into and past the first round of the playoffs.

 

Any opinions?  Arguments?  Or comments?

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Quirkolet: Ownership Model of the Golden State Warriors Franchise

As I was reading about the Golden State Warriors, as I occasionally do on one of my favorite forums, Warriors World, I came across an interesting article called “A Look and Comparison at the Three Ownership Groups the Warriors have had in the Bay Area,” written by James Venes. In Venes’ article, he discusses the teams winning percentages under each of the Warriors owner’s over the past 50 years. These owners include Franklin Mieuli, Jim Fitzgerald, Dan Finnane, and lastly the catalyst of what I call “Zetopilia,” Chris Cohan. I like to refer to this ownership model as a time of “Quirkolet,” in a sense, the downward spiraling trend of losing that the Warriors have grown accustomed to, in my opinion, under the ownership of Chris Cohan.

These are the 4 graphs in which James Venes Illustrates in his article:

Mieuli: 933-1026 (.476)
Fitzgerald: 325-331 (.495)
Cohan: 430-716 (.375)

Only because I dislike Cohan, I decided to summarize events that have taken place under his tenure and the Warriors owner:

- Chris Webber is drafted, and was a major piece of the Warriors team who contributed to the 50-32 season.

- Webber/Sprewell/Don Nelson have arguments which resulted in Cohan siding with Nelson and Webber was traded to Washington. I believe this event to be the key catalyst for what I call “quirkolet,” the downward spiraling trend of losing that the Warriors have grown accustomed to under the ownership of Chris Cohan.

-The Coaches of the last 13 seasons include: Bob Lanier, Rick Adelman, P.J. Carlisemo, Garry St. Jean, Dave Cowens, Brian Winters, Eric Mussleman, and Mike Montgomery.

- In four out of five seasons between 1997-98 and 2001-02, the Warriors finished with an average record of 19-63.

- The Warriors draft Gilbert Arenas in the second round, however after his second season, the Washington Wizards offered him a huge contract that the Warriors could not match.

- Chris Mullin is named Executive VP of Basketball Operations, succeeding St. Jean.

- Chris Mullin trades Speed Claxton and Dale Davis for Baron Davis, which was probably the single most exciting player that the Warriors have had in the last 13 seasons. This also was probably the first thing that actually went against this quirkolet movement.

- Coach Montgomery fired and Mullin hired Don Nelson for the 2006-07 season.

- Warriors trade Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and draft pick Ike Diogu in exchange for Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington.

- The "We Believe" theme was created which fueled a buzz amongst Warrior fans,the organization, and the team which helped in upsetting of top-seed Dallas Mavericks.

- In the off season, the Warriors traded Jason Richardson for skinny, Mr. Fantastic arms, very raw talented, Brandan Wright from North Carolina – another factor that contributed to quirkolet.

- Baron Davis opted out of his contract after being promised multiple times that he would be rewarded with a multiyear extension, which again was another key event that contributed to this quirkolet movement. I don’t blame Baron for opting out, but more so the people who couldn’t get him signed on the Warriors’ end.

- Monta Ellis was signed for a $67 million contract, and shortly after, he gets seriously injured himself in a moped accident.

- After failed attempts at trying to sign Elton Brand and Gilbert Arenas, the end result ended up being over paying Corey Maggette, a player who is in the purgatory of being a player who can compete against all-star caliber players, and being a 15 minutes a game role player. I question his heart for winning - but thats another topic for later.

My Conclusion

Under the ownership of Chris Cohan, the Warriors have had a .375 winning percentage. And only for 2 seasons have they had records that were above .500. I find it astonishing that Chris Cohan has been the owner for this long. The chart above speaks for itself. I’d imagine that this can only get worse from this standpoint. With recent news of Anthony Randolf being sat out for a good portion of the season, players like Stephen Jackson and Maggette constantly fighting injuries, as well as Monta Ellis going through rehab, its going to get worse. I believe the catalyst for all this mess, or quirkolet, is Chris Cohan and possibly Robert Rowell. There has been a constant trend of abandoning the leaders of the team such as, Jason Richardson, then Baron Davis, and now I’m going to guess they’ll get rid of Stephen Jackson at the end of the season to start what they might call the “rebuilding” process – perhaps the guy who was the sole factor in putting the pieces together in making the playoffs last year, Chris Mullin, will be gone too. Who knows what Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell have planned? All I know is that this quirkolet movement will only continue under the ownership of Chris Cohan.

Zetopilia: Current State of the Golden State Warriors Franchise

  “Zetopilia” is a term I use that describes the current state of the Golden State Warriors.  Zetopilia has several meanings – awful, disappointing, embarrassing, etc. The Warriors are once again entering the path to a long dark abyss of eternal damnation from the NBA playoffs.  It was only 2 years ago, that the Warriors presented its fans with hope, excitement, as well as the slogan that came with such promising future – “We Believe.”  Now, fast forward 2 years to the present.  Many things have changed that have caused this zetopilia state of mediocrity, in which I will discuss in future blog posts.  However, as an overview of the steps of which I call, zetopilia, here are a few big chunks of the Warriors organization setting themselves back a few or perhaps many seasons of not making the post season (keep in mind, these are only the some of the major events that took place)                    

        

 1.     1.  Trading away the Heart and Soul of the team – Jason Richardson.  Ever since Jason Richardson was drafted as the 5^th overall pick in 2001, his his basketball IQ and overall skills have only improved from season to season.  Of all the Warriors that came and gone during his tenure, almost any fan could tell you that he had most passion about winning.  He even wrote an apology letter to fans about missing out of the 2006 playoffs.  The Warriors may have traded him away because of future salary cap issues, in which I will discuss in a future article.

 

2.       2.  Robert Rowell’s refusal to extend Baron Davis’ Contract.  Baron Davis was a huge reason in granting Warrior fans a playoff birth since the ’93-’94 season.  Baron also carried the team throughout the playoffs; pretty much single handedly dismantled and sent the #1 seeded, Dallas Mavericks.  He was the glue that held every single player in check.  No matter how many ill advised shots or lazy and sloppy defensive assignments missed, we forgave and forgot because he was our only all-star caliber player.  He was the leader that the now leader-less Warriors need in this time of zetopilia.  Again, like the Jason Richardson trade, maybe this was a decision based on future salary cap issues, but maybe there’s more behind this.  With the signing of Corey Maggette for 5 years, $50 million, who knows?  I will discuss this as well in future postings.

 

3.       3.  Training accident?  Wait, wait….Moped?  Did you say moped?  Really, a moped?  I think that explains who I’m referring too.  I need not say more.

 

The Warriors were once a humiliating franchise to represent, made into one of the most exciting teams that arguably had the greatest upset in NBA history by knocking out the #1 seeded Dallas Mavericks, and are now well on their way for another 12+ year playoff drought.   This blog, the Golden State Warriors Review, will give an in depth review of how this came to be.  Additionally, I will provide highlights, scores, criticisms, current news, and much more of  anything that might contribute to this Warriors status, of which I call “Zetopilia.”