start bw or pob - there are benefits

[enderboy]

issues:

- backup point
- rebounding
- bench production

possible solutions:

start:
ab/bw/al/jack/bd: bigger front line, moves monta to the bench & it potentially addresses all 3 issues:
- monta will still get his minutes, but will have about 5-10 of those minutes dedicated to having baron sit & for monta to play the role of scoring point guard.

- monta to the bench = increased bench production
- ab/bw/al = better chance on the boards & makes al a legit post option at the 3. when teams pack it in, drive & kick doesn't work so well. w/ al at the 3, the offense can run through either al or baron from the post as well.


start:
pob/ab/al/monta/baron: huge front line, moves jack to the bench to be the one to spell baron. pob can play the high post on offense & at the very least, we're not getting killed on the boards. if pob picks up fouls in limited minutes, that's fine as long as he's a presence inside.


start: ab/bw/jack/monta/baron: this will work best against some of the poorer teams because this is a track team. it won't work against the better grind it out teams because monta & bw would struggle because in halfcourt situations, baron & jack dominate the ball.

there are ways & reasons to play the kids a little.

[Chris Cohan]

For all the (justified) talk about matchups and creativity, Nelson has shown a very clear unwillingness to budge on certain, specific player combinations. You've pointed out two or three important ones very nicely.

Another is the all-youth small ball look that ought to produce totally useless but exciting-for-tuned-in-fans chaos: Ellis, Azubuike, Belinelli, Wright, Biedrins.

I think there was active discussion of some of these rotations before the season started and during the opening 0-6. But it is returning now that some spice is needed to get the team back on track.

I wanted to add something about the O'Bryant/Biedrins frontline idea.
It has been experimented with "behind closed doors" and it is clear that O'Bryant can hit an outside shot. He does not bring the activity level of Croshere but he brings far more interior defensive presence-- warts and all-- than most other Warriors options on HELP and zone defense. On man, he may not be so hot, but it's time for some new ideas and I think Nelson is in line to start trying them.

Not too worried, in this case.
I trust Nelson in only one true sense: to screw around.

[Sleepy51]

I wanted to add something about the O'Bryant/Biedrins frontline idea.
It has been experimented with "behind closed doors"

Where does this come from?

[FNQ]

All us season ticket holders are privy to such info

I'm a bad one... I only go to 5-10 games a season :/

ROWELL either has an inside connect or has brown eyes... believe it or dont... its irrelevant, Pattycakes is now simply our white flag/victory cigar...

[Chris Cohan]

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Where does this come from?

I didn't hear about this from any direct team source or anything like that but a neighbor did and, probably more useful to all, I'm hopefully correctly recalling that Matt Steinmetz has mentioned this in taped sessions that should have made it into game telecasts at some point last year. Not sure, they edit them sometimes despite scripting and rehearsing them heavily in advance, and they take a handful of takes everytime. But it's common knowledge on the beat, at least, just not a story until it leaves the practice floor. Let me know how many total minutes Biedrins and O'Bryant have spent on the floor together over the last two seasons.

Steinmetz attends all practices.

[Chris Cohan]

Matt Steinmetz has not publicly offered his thoughts on Marco Belinelli via the few online articles he writes every year and I am really interested in him doing so.

I can't say he's given me any strong opinions on Belinelli he's taken from seeing him in the practice scenarios Nelson apparently values highly from his highly-touted, indiosycratic rookie Euro pick, and I've begun to wonder if Steinmetz's obligations to his bosses in the Warrior front office have kept him from touching on the matter in print.

Again, I have absolutely no formal indication from Matt or anyone else on this. Pure, independent, "anonymous" conjecture.

[Chris Cohan]

Bait for those more interested in the messenger than the content, admittedly, and not fair to Mr. Steinmetz if he frequents the board and has his name in there for better or for worse... but I'm sure he'd find it preferable to the reaming other posters like to spout off with on him, Kawakami, etc. Matt knows his stuff.

[Sleepy51]

All us season ticket holders are privy to such info

I'm a bad one... I only go to 5-10 games a season :/

ROWELL either has an inside connect or has brown eyes... believe it or dont... its irrelevant, Pattycakes is now simply our white flag/victory cigar...

Do you guys get some kind of decoder ring or something to decipher all these secret messages in the press? Or do you just get different broadcasts than the rest of us?

[Mylie10]

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Do you guys get some kind of decoder ring or something to decipher all these secret messages in the press? Or do you just get different broadcasts than the rest of us?

[Chris Cohan]

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Do you guys get some kind of decoder ring or something to decipher all these secret messages in the press? Or do you just get different broadcasts than the rest of us?

They tape the spots near floor seats, usually near the baskets in Matt's case. I catch plenty of FSN Bay Area team broadcasts via tape and Matt Steinmetz has mentioned his practice attendance (relative to Fitzgerald's, in particular) quite often, best I can tell.
No big mystery here as long as yoo believe your television a little.

As for the press stuff, they hang close to the floor and postgame a lot. Imagine that. Some folks I know even have their cell phone numbers. Oooh! Aaaah! They're human beings!!!

[Chris Cohan]

Returning to the topic at hand:

Patrick O'Bryant with Biedrins is one thing I'd like to see and something the team knows about.

It worked OK as a basic premise in practices, especially on defense (where Baron Davis reportedly had trouble getting to the hoop more than a few times) last year, but problems arose when a particular player had to initiate offense with those two on the floor with him at the same time and, at that time, Monta Ellis was not considered ready to run offense and Jasikevicius was routinely relegated to B Squad duties so alternatives were not available.

This year, there should be no problem in practice since that player almost never practices with the team. No idea when or if we'll get some fresh rotation looks but Nelson's reputation as a creative rotation mechanic is in serious danger if all he's willing to do is enable the as yet unverified speculation that he's posturing for trade privileges. Again.

Meanwhile, Jason Richardson looks fine in Charlotte even if the team is sort of bad and Mike Dunleavy looks fine in Indiana even if he is overpriced. When they lost Tinsley, they got bad. They're still on the radar. So is Charlotte, like it or not. One thing about the East, it's easier. Ask our All Star wannabe.

[FNQ]

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Do you guys get some kind of decoder ring or something to decipher all these secret messages in the press? Or do you just get different broadcasts than the rest of us?

We know everything about everything inside the organization... all these anonymous "sources" that leak info a little early... its us

All I get is emails about I already know... the only real benefit I've got is that when we officially traded Murphleavy, I knew about it about 3-4 hrs before ESPN started reporting it... if that's inside info, then there ya go

[Twinkie defense]

We should start Patrick O'Bryant?! What, already starting the OJ Mayo watch?

I almost wish Nellie would start Patrick for a handful of games, just so we can clear off that bandwagon and not have to listen to such a suggestion anymore.

[Chris Cohan]

Right, the team is pretty tight-lipped as a rule, I've found.
Pretty basic stuff or nothing at all gets disclosed, it's just that papers don't sell much when financials and personnel machinations take up the bulk of print.

This smells all too familiar for January in Oakland.

[Chris Cohan]

Not sure playing Wright and O'Bryant helps the win column at this point. I'd say OK to the plan had it been implemented in October.

We'd be seeing where we stood about now. Instead, we're living up to expectations held by plenty of cranky season ticket holders who were not hapy with the Richardson move as their ticket prices increased again without a clear answer to lingering issues on defense and rebounding being even remotely addressed.

This team can still spank all the NBA losers but, for my money, I'd hoped to have a team that could answer legitimate playoff challenges this season. I don't see it.

No one honestly can say they do unless they're running on faith.
Faith doesn't balance my checkbook. Nor the Warriors'.

But they certainly appreciate yours.

[GswStorm3]

Wow I also just said in another thread I would love to see a Baron/Jackson/Al/Wright/Biedrins starting five.

[Sleepy51]

This smells all too familiar for January in Oakland.

Well . . . it kind of IS January in Oakland . . .

We're one year removed from being the worst franchise of this century. I'm not all that surprised that this isn't a championship ready finished product after one fun half a season.

[Chris Cohan]

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Well . . . it kind of IS January in Oakland . . .

We're one year removed from being the worst franchise of this century. I'm not all that surprised that this isn't a championship ready finished product after one fun half a season.

Sure sure.

And I'm not really too heartbroken about most of the moves. I like most of the financial breathing room acquired from a theoretical perspective.
Wonder what we'll use it on.

But I expect to see one or two little moves made this week and next. Nothing shocking or major, just a clear confirmation on Mbenga (Lepper gets good info usually, based purely on reading him, but I don't buy today's story on Mbenga just yet), a sense of Croshere's health, and a final call on Hudson in exchange for the far less risky 10-Day contract on someone else.

[enderboy]

by no means is this an advocating of pob or bw getting big minutes, but it is a call for them to get meaningful minutes. even if it's just 5-10 here & there, but on the floor with main rotation guys - guys that can help them succeed. 5-10 minutes of meaningful minutes will hurt who? barnes? mp? al?

pob, at the very least, should be showcased. if he's not in the long term plans, show the nba that he is worth something in spot duty & get some value for him. his 15 minutes of fame against the clippers against a true talent at the 5 - that was worth something.

not all guys play like they practice. maybe pob's a total slouch in practice - but too many true & not so true bigs are destroying our front line, and pob has skill.

call it a bandwagon - whatever you wish - what's the true harm in letting the kids break a sweat & pick up some fouls & maybe learn something along the way?

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

POB should not resign with the Warriors. Nelson and the Warriors (and POB himself) have (Please Use More Appropriate Word) POB's career. Biedrins is the the starting center of the Warriors future.

The question is, "which player can help the Warriors most now by getting the Back up Center minutes".

Nelson seems to think the answer at back up Center is Al Harrington. Al played 15 minutes of back up Center against the Hornets. Al only grabbed 3 defensive boards in 32 minutes against the Hornets. What happened to the Off-season Al Harrington who was talking about his new found commitment to rebounding?

I would give POB a try at back up Center, but I don't want POB and Andris playing together.