Warriors' future looking Golden 

Warriors' future looking Golden

Hodaka Kajita for SBS

On August 18, 2003, the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks were involved in a nine-player trade. Much to the chagrin of many Warriors' fans--having to say goodbye to Antawn Jamison--who say the exchange of talent is incomparable, this trade will reap more benefits for the Warriors than many may think.

On the surface, it only addresses the loss of Gilbert Arenas and to what extent is yet to be seen. As it addresses the loss of Arenas, it seems counter-productive to lose Jamison, the so-called "leader" of the team. But, Jamison was a moral leader. A team leader he was not; I never saw that in his game. His play was rugged and weary, as much as it was effective.

I see no problem with Mike Dunleavy Jr., the third overall pick last year for the Warriors, filling the vacant small forward position. Not only will this allow Dunleavy to expedite his development as a solid NBA player, it will quiet those fans who unfairly call him a bust simply because he did not put up the numbers as the likes of Amare Stoudamire and Yao Ming.

All in all, this was purely a business move for the future. The Warriors botched things up by overpaying Jamison and Fortson. This was perhaps the only way to alleviate those mistakes and to prevent future mishaps like letting Arenas and Boykins walk

This is the second time in the Chris Cohan-era that a deal has deemed a long-term vision. The first time was when the Warriors signed Jamison to a max contract, big mistake. Jamison's proclamation about bringing a championship to Oakland despite the history of woes sounded nice at the time.

Taking a look back at that max contract signing, the fans were a bit over ambitious and admired Jamison's determination. No one ever questioned his heart and the lack of a legitimate supportive cast.

Still, there was always a cloud of doubt regarding the thought of playoffs, let alone a winning season. Though an effective scorer, Jamison's game had, and still has, gaping holes and never warranted a max contract.

A player who warrants a max contract is someone who will makes his teammates better--something Jamison said he would want to do--or at least have an all-around game ala Tracy McGrady. Additionally, a max contract player should show significant improvements to their game every season; Unfortunately, Jamison's handling, passing, and defense never matched his efforts to improve in those areas.

With those reasons, Jamison was traded along with Danny Fortson, Chris Mills, and Jiri Welsh. Of the four players, Jamison and Fortson's contracts were seriously hindering the Warriors' chance to sign much coveted guard Gilbert Arenas. The Warriors did the next best thing by unloading their contracts and gaining players that cost less and/or that run no longer than a few years.

Chris Mills, who was often injured and sparingly used, was vastly overpaid but his contract was up after the 04'-05' season so he was thrown into the deal just to make the numbers work.

Perhaps the most promising player in the deal was Jiri Welsh who showed signs of being the prototypical European talent, who can shoot, handle, and display sound fundamentals not shown in American counterparts.

From a pure business perspective, this trade makes sense because it has "future" written all over it. According to Marc Stein's article, the Warriors should be $20 million under the salary cap after the 2005 season, giving them financial freedom to sign free agents. By that time, Chris Mullin should be the general manager. Moreover, there are rumors that say Mullin had a lot to do with this recent trade, as he is a big Mike Dunleavy Jr. fan and went to Houston to meet with Nick Van Exel before the trade. There may be a St. Jean-to-Mullin transfer earlier than expected.

From a talent perspective, the Warriors got better and the deal was indeed a fair tradeoff. Of the four Warrior players, Jamison was the only one getting significant playing time. Of the five Maverick players, Van Exel was the only one getting significant playing time. Of course, playing time is not the perfect assessment of a player's value, but if this allows Dunleavy to blossom and remedies Arenas' departure, the benefits are definitely there. Not only is it a fair exchange of talent, the Warriors rid themselves of contractual mistakes and takes on much needed non-committal contracts.

Allowing Mike Dunleavy Jr. to takeover the SF position is a crucial element in the Warriors' future as Jamison, who was suppose to be that player, did not show signs of taking the team to a higher level.

Nick Van Exel, although not as promising as young Gilbert Arenas, is possibly an upgrade from Arenas. Like Arenas, Van Exel came through in the clutch time and time again, and is playoff worthy, should the Warriors ever make the playoffs within the next two or three years.

Although Earl Boykins was a fan favorite, Speedy Claxton is just as much a legitimate backup point guard...except that he signed with the intent of starting.

Team chemistry may be a problem this upcoming season, but the core players are still there: Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle are one of the better 1-2 center combinations, Troy Murphy seeks to improve on his already improved game, Jason Richardson should be able to draw oo's-and-ah's from the crowd, and Mike Dunleavy Jr., from what looked like an impressive summer league performance, will do what Jamison never did: make his teammates better.

Only two, albeit it key players, will not be present from last year's starting lineup. If Eric Musselman was able to pull together a team to become the NBA's most improved team in his first year, I don't see why he can not do it this season, especially when most of the players that played are still here and then some.

Whatever the case may be the Warriors are essentially in a financial rebuilding process and would probably covet a high profile free agent before the 2006 season. Until then, Warrior faithfuls must be patient and pray that the team's renovated look will lessen some of the pain caused by Gilbert Arenas' signing with the Washington Wizards.

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Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:48 am MST by Anonymous

Comment Drew, Thanks for reading this column from the Jurassic era. To answer your questions: 1) Jason Richardson seems determined to step up his all-around game. This year, he has proved he can take it to the hoop without doing a jump-stop or jumping off of two feet. Doing so helps him become more fluid and effective rolling to the basket. It's hard to say what type of player he will be in the future but I think at least he will make the All-star team sometime in his career. His passing and handling stills needs a lot of improvement. 2) I gave the Warriors props for clearing up cap space because it's a move for the future. Up until now, all the moves have been a temporary fix to a long-term problem. And, those fixes were pretty horrible to begin with. At least now the Warriors have the potential to make a move to secure a bright future. Only time will tell.

Wed Jan 21, 2004 10:11 pm MST by Hodaka

Comment Nice to finally read this baby. Having written this in August, the Dunleavy comments prove especially prescient. I'm not a huge fan of Mike's, nor do I think he makes anyone better. However, he's a solid player with some versatility, the kind of guy any team would like to have on the floor. I'd like to get a couple of takes from you. -First, where is Richardson going with his game, if anywhere? Can this guy be a general? The Warriors don't have a go-to-guy, and if a potential player with go-to-guy potential is on the current roster, it can only be Richardson. Unfortunately, this isn't appearing to be the case. -Second, the Warriors have never established themselves as big time Free Agent signers. Why all the props for clearing up cap room? Aside from the business aspect, of course.

Sat Dec 20, 2003 1:37 pm MST by Drew

Comment Hello, I am sorry but I disagree with a couple of things that both of you guys just mentioned. In response to what Zennie said, yes the Warriors do need some sort of superstar that will draw more ticket sales. But that superstar needs to be young and be able to create some highlight reels with crossovers, dunks, passes etc and be able to carry his team to victory. According to my standards, Mutumbo does not fit any of that. Don't get me wrong, but I love Mutumbo: a former 4 time Defensive player of the year, 7 time all star, lead the league in blocks and rebounds at various points in his career, and is supposedly a very humble guy. With that being said, his defensive game now cannot turn the tide of games consistently enough anymore because of his age. He is no longer a superstar, and I don't think oakland fans will pay to see Mutumbo waving his finger every so often. In response to Hodaka's response, I totally disagree that Erick Dampier is better than Mutumbo. First of all, Dampier is Dampier. He misses the easy 2-5 footers all the time. You see him even clank a simple slam dunk here and there! To top things off, Dampier can't hit his free throws. True enough he had a breakout year last year, averaging about 68% from the strife. But he is a career 63% free throw shooter. Mutumbo is closer to 70% with his free throws and for his career averages a little over 12 ppg. Though Mutumbo is older, I still think he can get things done offensively and defensively enough to help a team given the minutes and if he can be healthy now. But he is more like a role a player than anything now. No longer superstar material, if even ever. Even when he was back with the Atlanta Hawks, he was surrounded by Steve Smith and Christian Laettner and Mookie Blaylock (when they were good). Personally, the only qualified centers in the league to combat the massive size of Shaq and the length of Yao Ming would have to be Vlade Divac or maybe even Brad Miller, which the Sacramento Kings both have. Mutumbo played Shaq well in the 2001 NBA finals, but that was over 2 years ago. Mutumbo has aged significanly enough, and his body has taken its toll. As I mentioned in my first response, we have to wait till the end of this year and maybe we might be able to land some high profile free agent and be playoff bound again.

Sun Aug 31, 2003 12:46 am MST by Joseph Ponggasam

Comment Hello, I am sorry but I disagree with a couple of things that both of you guys just mentioned. In response to what Zennie said, yes the Warriors do need some sort of superstar that will draw more ticket sales. But that superstar needs to be young and be able to create some highlight reels with crossovers, dunks, passes etc and be able to carry his team to victory. According to my standards, Mutumbo does not fit any of that. Don't get me wrong, but I love Mutumbo: a former 4 time Defensive player of the year, 7 time all star, lead the league in blocks and rebounds at various points in his career, and is supposedly a very humble guy. With that being said, his defensive game now cannot turn the tide of games consistently enough anymore because of his age. He is no longer a superstar, and I don't think oakland fans will pay to see Mutumbo waving his finger every so often.

Sun Aug 31, 2003 12:31 am MST by Joseph Ponggasam

Comment Zennie, In my opinion, Dikembe Mutumbo cannot compete with the Shaqs and Yaos of the league. In fact, I will go as far as to say Erick Dampier is a better option than Mutumbo. Furthermore, Mutumbo was injured for greater part of last season and his health status is in question. He is 37 years old and is going down hill. He has no offensive game--I'd trust Adonal Foyle with the ball more than Mt. Mutumbo--and did little for the New Jersey Nets ticket-wise. My reasoning for this is that Richard Jefferson, Jason Kidd, and Kenyon Martin have more marketability than Mutumbo. So, we know the Nets did not obtain him for ticket sales...and now, he's about to be replaced with Alonzo Mourning, a player whose health is in even greater question than Mutumbo. All in all, Dikembe Mutumbo's greatest asset is his waving, anorexic finger that is infrequently seen these days. To give him the benefit of the doubt, he is still probably one of the better defensive centers in the league but he will not stop Shaq, Yao, or even Erick Dampier. If the Warriors did obtain Mutumbo, he would be of little benefit in terms of winning games. The Warriors already have Adonal Foyle who is more younger, more athletic, and is in his contract year. If Mutumbo does increase ticket sales, it would only be a brief period of time...say 2 MAYBE 3 years max. But last season is proof that he is no longer the defensive juggernaut of the NBA. In fact, no one is. That's why Larry Brown, known as a great basketball mind, got rid of him.

Thu Aug 28, 2003 7:12 pm MST by Hodaka

Comment Greetings, I continue to take a "wait and see" position. I'm not in favor of cleaning house, if there's no idea of how team chemistry will be effected. That written, Hodaka reminds me that the core of Warriors does still exist. Plus, Musselman is a good teacher of the game. Perhaps the Warriors were getting rid of people who were "coach killers." But I maintain that they need to draft and trade with selling ticket in mind. They need to get the one true star player that will fill the seats. A name player. A great center. Someone that can take Shaq and Yao. Dikembe Mitumbo.

Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:53 am MST by Zennie

Comment As an avid Golden State Warrior fan, I believe that the author of this article allowed me to deviate from my myopic position that the recent "blockbuster" trade between the Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks is a much better situation for the Warriors in hindsight. By dumping the enormous contracts of Jamison and Fortson, the Warriors set themselves up for a Superstar in the near future. By the end of this year, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett will be free agents. Perhaps Warriors Management can surprise all us Warrior fans and bring one of them in... BUT that is almost a long shot. Originally, I might have been totally against the trade because I despise Guard, Nick Van Exel, and a part of me said, "Who is going to fill that void of 22 some odd points a night?" In retrospect, the article also reminded me that Jamison is NOT a max contract player. Yes, he is very talented in many regards, but I don't think he is superstar material. Definitely a good role model, and a moral leader, but lacked the intensity, desire and will to win that a high profile superstar such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, or Allen Iverson holds. The Ex-Team Captain of the Warriors lacked the leadership skills on the court to lead his team to a playoff birth. To sum things up: "Nice guys finish last". Jamison is better off as a 3rd leading scorer or good role player. I think he fits well in Dallas, but he will have to set his mentality into deferring to Nowitzki, Finley, and possibly Nash (improving his 3pt percentage might help too). But going back to Van Exel, I'll admit he is clutch. And he will be a reputable replacement for the loss of Arenas. But what's up with that 20ft free throw shot??? I am also not sure if Van Exel can lead the Warriors in any direction. Right now, I anticipate sometime during the middle of the season when the Warriors are 10-30, he will cry like he did in Denver and demand a trade before the All Star Break and be right back up there in playoff contention somehow. Aside from all that, I do agree "The Warrior's future is looking Golden". As for now, the only thing I can do is just sit and watch us (lose) for another yr, and maybe, just maybe, Warriors Management will do something right for once....

Wed Aug 27, 2003 10:14 pm MST by Joseph Ponggasam

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