http://www.yardbarker.com/users/Ireland Recent Yardbarker Articles: Ireland en-us In a nutshell, Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli will be added to the regular rotation. Wright is a great forward/center and Belinelli is a real marksman from the 3 point land, which is exactly what Golden State needs. Barnes, Pietrus, and O'Bryant will be on the way out it appears. And Baron will get less minutes on the court (not by much) from last season. That would be great, considering Baron looked exhausted towards the end of the season. Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:10:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275346 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275346 While the Celtics had a great regular season, lets get real here. A majority of the Lakers game2 were against the legendary 07-08 west. The Celtics? Against the east who had a lackluster record in the win column. While the Celtics certainly have a good team in regular season, the playoffs are a completely different season. The team that has control of their nerves will win. And the only team that has looked completely relaxed in post season is Los Angeles. The Celtics have a great team, but not as good as the Lakers. Bryant and his announcement of MVP, the undefeated post season, and the attitude to go out there and have fun has them on a roll. And that roll will be enough momentum to win it all. Mark my words, it's the L.A. Laker's year. Expect them to win the series against the Celtics in the finals, 4-2. Thu, 08 May 2008 11:37:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264793 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264793 My apologies if I sound like a disgruntled Warriors fan. You might read this and think, "This 'We Believe' punk is just angry his Warriors didn't make the playoffs." And you're right. I am angry they didn't get in with the 48 win record they have. They DESERVE to be there. The beautiful thing about English Football (Soccer) is that they do not break down the teams by conferences. It's professional soccer. They take the top teams in the entire LEAGUE that end up making the Cup Tournaments. In the United States, it comes down to you're geographical location. So, it's the Warriors fault that they have too many teams in the East that the Hornets who are on the EASTERN SIDE of the United States have to force the Warriors to watch the playoffs from home? Isn't the whole point of the Playoffs to take the TOP teams in the NBA and pit them up against each other? Shouldn't the best team win? While the best team might win, while the Warriors weren't the best team in Basketball, who can say they may not play better in the playoffs? It's all about nerves and the Warriors have certainly had experience in that area. Supposedly, the NBA Committee is going to explore this venue and see if something can be changed. Will it truly matter? This is the first time in NBA History that teams have gone into the playoffs with such a close win column. But, what if it happens next season? What if the West has a Higher win record and there are only two teams in the east that can match it? I'm at a loss for words. I hate the Nuggets. And not because they recently made it into the playoffs over the Warriors. They deserve to be there, by the numbers. I've ALWAYS hated the nuggets. Only this time, I hate them even more. Now, I'll have to root for my second favorite team in the NBA - the Lakers. And I might just be a TAD bit happier if the Nuggets get shut out. No offense to any Denver fans, but I hate all your teams. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:37:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/260357 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/260357 April 18, 2008 By Geoff Lepper Contra Costa Times OAKLAND, Calif. — The San Antonio Spurs have sported a great one for more than a decade. The Boston Celtics conjured one almost out of thin air this season. And the Los Angeles Lakers have the ability to create one. The thing all those teams have in common — aside from oodles and oodles of victories this season — is a trio of outstanding players at the top of their roster. For San Antonio, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili form the core of a team that has won two of the last three NBA titles. In Boston, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived last fall to just in time to resuscitate Paul Pierce's career. And the addition of Pau Gasol to Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom in the City of Angels has Jack Nicholson grinning like the Joker. Given that backdrop, here may be the biggest questions the Warriors need to contemplate as they evaluate the 48-34 season they just completed, the answers of which will determine how the team proceeds through its thorniest and most important summer in years: Is the troika of point guard Baron Davis, combo guard Monta Ellis and swingman Stephen Jackson — 20-point-a-night scorers all — a sturdy enough foundation upon which a championship-caliber team can be built? And if so, how long will that window stay open, given that Jackson is 30 and Davis just turned 29? "I think so," Jackson said. "Because we can play with any stars in the league. We can go out there and match up and play against them. That's just always been our confidence." Last season, that confidence was backed up with results. As they plowed their way through the final games to claim their first playoff berth after a 12-season drought, it didn't seem to matter who the Warriors were facing. Golden State had the resourceful air of a team that would find a way to conjure up victories even in the tightest of spots, as evidenced by its 8-4 record against fellow playoff teams in the final six weeks. This season, the situation was stood on its head. The Warriors never could get over the hump against the teams that will be participating in games this weekend, finishing 2-8 in its last 10 games versus playoff squads. "I think we have a really good core group of players, we've got young guys coming up," Warriors executive vice president Chris Mullin said. "(But) obviously, we didn't make the playoffs this year, so to put the adjective 'championship team' on a team that's not in the playoffs wouldn't make much sense." Mullin made clear Wednesday that he would like the 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 in order 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. Golden State has roughly $46 million committed to the six players it currently has under contract—Davis, Jackson, Al Harrington and rookies Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli and Kosta Perovic—so using the bulk of the trade exception would push them very close, if not into, luxury-tax territory. Unless, that is, the team was willing to part with Harrington, who didn't mesh particularly well with coach Don Nelson at times this season. "We need to get deeper, for sure, and better," Nelson said. "But we'll have to stay under the cap and do a good job of managing the monies that we have." Regardless of whatever moves the team makes to satisfy the bottom line, the bench is in need of a drastic revamp. The four most-used reserves—Azubuike, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and Austin Croshere—are all free agents, and each of those last three failed to live up to expectations. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, Nelson held out his rookies early in the season for fear of losing critical games, and by the time it was clear the Warriors needed their help, it was too late. "We got a little too young this year. Three rookies on a team (is) difficult for any team," Nelson said. That said, Nelson and, to a more qualified extent, Mullin both expect that trio to vie for more important roles next season. "I'm really encouraged by the way they've developed despite not getting a lot of playing time," Mullin said. "Not only physically, but also the way they've handled the rigors of mentally adjusting to that—not getting down, not getting discouraged, not giving in. ... That is important in this league; do you have the mind to deal with disappointment, things not going your way. And I've seen that in them." It wouldn't be summer with the Warriors if the perennial search for a low-post presence didn't rear its head. While it remains a priority, Mullin said he's more satisfied with the team's rebounding and interior defense than in past years. What's missing is someone who can score from the low block, a role the Warriors are hoping Wright will grow into. "You look over the course of time, teams that have a low-post scorer do much better than team that just rely on outside (scoring)," Mullin said. "So yeah, that's something either you acquire or you develop it." That's especially true on a team where the two freest gunners hit less than 43 percent of their attempts: 42.6 percent for Davis, 40.5 for Jackson. And there is also a need for a shot blocker. Without a legitimate force protecting the rim, opponents will continue to pounce on the defensive shortcomings of Davis and Ellis at stopping dribble-penetration. That's a long shopping list for one summer, but with Nelson saying he's going to coach one more season, at most, it might be the time for an all-out push. "It's always urgent for me," Jackson said. "I want to win. Time is ticking on everybody." Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:50:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/241938 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/241938 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -Don Nelson plans to take a couple of months before deciding whether he will return for a third season as coach of the Golden State Warriors. Speaking before the Warriors' final game of the season Wednesday night, Nelson said he would go to Maui until the beginning of June and think about what he wants to do next season. Nelson said he expects to let the team know his decision by about July 1. "I'm getting up to the point where it's not an easy job,'' the 67-year-old Nelson said, adding that he doesn't see himself coaching past next season no matter what he chooses to do. He wants to wait to make his decision until after his arbitration hearing with the Dallas Mavericks scheduled for late June. Nelson filed the claim against Dallas owner Mark Cuban to get $6.5 million of deferred compensation, which Nelson said he is owed for his time with the Mavericks from 1997-2005. Last month, the Warriors exercised their $5.1 million option for the final year of Nelson's contract. The two sides had re-negotiated Nelson's contract in September to give him a raise in return for making the third year of his contract an option. "I certainly won't leave them hanging,'' Nelson said. Nelson led the Warriors to their first playoff berth since 1994 in his first season, leading an upset of the Mavericks in the first round before Golden State was eliminated by Utah. The Warriors did even better this regular season, but missed out on the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Golden State went 48-34 this season, finishing with the most wins by a team that missed the playoffs since the postseason expanded to 16 teams in 1984. "I'd walk away feeling good about this year, feeling good about my two years here and feeling good about my career,'' Nelson said. "It's nice to be wanted and I think the organization would like to have me come back. I think most of the players in the other room would like me to come back, probably some wouldn't. I've had a really good time here in two years and that's a big factor in whether I return or not.'' Nelson is the second-winningest coach in NBA history with 1,280 wins, trailing only Lenny Wilkens (1,332) on the all-time list. Nelson is one of many Warriors with an uncertain future. Star point guard Baron Davis can choose to opt out of the final year of his contract. Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins are restricted free agents, although team executive vice president Chris Mullin told reporters he will definitely match any offer to bring those two back. Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and Patrick O'Bryant are all unrestricted free agents, and Kelenna Azubuike can opt out of his contract. The most intriguing decision revolves around Davis, who is owed about $17 million if he stays for the final year of his contract. He was benched in the second half of Monday's loss at Phoenix that eliminated the Warriors for playoff contention. Nelson has said it was because Davis did not play well in the first half. Davis said he was upset about not playing but that he had no rift with Nelson. "I was upset that night but he did what he thought was best for the team,'' Davis said. "Coach will do what he thinks is best for the team and I totally support him.'' Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:05:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/240520 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/240520 It's been exactly one year now since the playoff fever hit the San Francisco Bay Area. "We Believe" was the phrase that most commonly came out of Oracle Arena in the first round against the Dallas Mavericks. Up until that point, the Warriors had a severe playoff drought. This year, the warriors finished the season with a 48-34 record. For the entire season, I had been keeping an eye on the standings. As the playoffs grew closer, I started to see the teams that were clinching playoff spots. And the teams that didn't stand a chance in getting in, received a little "o" (out) next to their name. After the Warriors faced the Suns earlier in the week, it was heart wrenching to see the little "o" next to their name. Many were certain that the Warriors would make it into the playoffs. Now that the Warriors fell short by as little as two games, every other news article I'm reading is how the Warriors need to be broken up, or they need to be fixed. I even read the phrase, "Boot Baron out, free up cap room." This sentiment is wrong. Firstly, the Warriors had a better season than last year. Stephen Jackson missed the first part of the season and it was obvious that the Warriors needed them. Needless to the say, if Jackson was present for every single regular season of the game, the Warriors would be gearing up to play one of the top four seeds. The team we had this season is BETTER than the one from last. The players have VASTLY improved. The Warriors beat the BEST teams in the NBA throughout the season. So, where is the problem? It's not the players. It's not the talent on the court. If you want to blame someone, put it on Nelson. He had a whole bench of firepower just sitting there throughout most of the season. Patrick O'Bryant - in the few times Nelson let him loose on the court, he made a difference. Marco Bellenelli? 17 points in the season closing game. He IS the best shooter on the Warriors. While we certainly need a solid power forward, at most I might trade Pietrus and Wright. We don't need either of them. Wright is certainly a good player, with a great future ahead of him, he's not dominant enough down front. The Warriors aren't broke. They are one of the best teams in the NBA. And unfortunately, they are also one of the unluckiest. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:32:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/239972 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/239972