NBA Season Preview: Golden State Warriors

Mark Rawden, and his associates over at Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com), are running their own NBA Season Preview for each team in the NBA prior to the beginning of the regular season. Here's a look at the the 2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder, and a Q&A with Royce from Daily Thunder: (Mark%20Rawden,%20and%20his%20associates%20over%20at%20Examiner.com,%20are%20running%20their%20own%20NBA%20Season%20Preview%20for%20each%20team%20in%20the%20NBA%20prior%20to%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20regular%20season.%20Here%27s%20a%20look%20at%20the%20the%202009-10%20Oklahoma%20City%20Thunder,%20and%20a%20Q&A%20with%20Royce%20from%20Daily%20Thunder:%20%20What%20are%20your%20thoughts%20about%20the%20Thunder%20as%20the%20season%20approaches?%20How%20do%20you%20feel%20about%20their%20playoff/title%20chances?%20%20Royce,%20Daily%20Thunder:%20It%27s%20strange%20because%20my%20thoughts%20about%20the%20team%20are%20very%20positive,%20but%20I%20have%20no%20visions%20of%20the%20playoffs.%20Some%20folks%20out%20there%20are%20hyping%20this%20team%20as%20a%20dark%20horse%20playoff%20contender%20or%20a%20surprise%20team%20and%20while%20that%27s%20all%20well%20and%20good,%20most%20Thunder%20fans%20are%20tempering%20those%20thoughts.%20We%20just%20want%20to%20see%20a%20team%20that%20is%20better%20than%20last%20year%20and%20ready%20to%20compete%20for%2048%20minutes%20every%20single%20night.%20If%20that%20happens,%20the%20talent%20is%20there%20and%20the%20wins%20will%20come.%20Maybe%20not%20enough%20this%20year%20to%20get%20to%20the%20playoffs,%20but%20hopefully%20enough%20to%20warrant%20legitimate%20hype%20going%20into%202010-11.%20%20Do%20you%20feel%20that%20holes%20in%20the%20roster%20still%20need%20to%20be%20addressed,%20and%20if%20so,%20can%20they%20be%20addressed?%20%20Royce:%20Oklahoma%20City%20is%20in%20such%20a%20strange%20position%20in%20terms%20of%20holes%20on%20the%20roster.%20Technically,%20every%20hole%20on%20the%20roster%20has%20been) What are your thoughts about the Warriors as the season approaches? How do you feel about their playoff/title chances?Ray Yocke: Well, let’s just eliminate “title chances” right off the bat. It’s like looking for a new car and immediately crossing “Ferrari” off your list. No sense in fooling yourself.The playoffs appear to be out of reach, but it’s not impossible to think that this team could sneak in. If everything breaks right for the Warriors this year, they could wind up as the 7th or 8th seed. A playoff appearance would make Golden State’s 2009-10 season an unquestioned success, but it’s hard to see that happening given the current roster.Do you feel that holes in the roster still need to be addressed, and if so, can they be addressed?RY: The gaping hole on the Warriors’ roster is at point guard. Golden State has five point guards, but none of them are starting quality. The team could address this via trade, but no one on the current roster is capable of stepping into that role capably.Monta Ellis is more of a scorer than a distributor, C.J. Watson is a solid backup but nothing more, Speedy Claxton is one more injury away from becoming a glue stick, Acie Law is just happy to still be fogging up an NBA mirror, and Stephen Curry just enrolled in Don Nelson’s “Chain the Rookie to the Bench” program. How you feel that they compare with the Celtics, and the rest of the NBA?RY: The Warriors compare with the Celtics the same way Dustin Pedroia compares with Spike Owen. The Celtics are aiming for a Finals appearance, while the Warriors would be thrilled with simply making the playoffs. It’d be hard for these franchises to be any further apart than they are now.If the Celtics and Warriors make the Finals, how would you think the Warriors should attack Boston in a 7-game series?To read the rest of Mark's Q&A, click here. (http://www.examiner.com/x-10630-Boston-Celtics-Examiner~y2009m9d27-NBA-Season-Preview-QA-with-Oakland-Sports-Examiner-Ray-Yocke)