With the Golden State Warriors training camps officially starting today with Media Day, it's time for what we love best about the pre-season: Team previews!
This roster is almost unrecognizable from last year and looks like future ownership is wasting no time gradually gutting or scrubbing the place of Cohan's imprint. New jerseys, new logo, and now a newer coach...sort of. After the the jump, see what we have to look forward to (or pound our heads into the walls to) this coming season.
Atma Brother #1 of Golden State of Mind considers the ultimate shortcomings of this team in his preview, "A New Beginning, But Is it Smart?"
However, there's a multitude of reasons to not be happy about Smart getting this gig. In terms of actual head coaching experience he doesn't exactly have the best track record. He was the Warriors "defensive coordinator" the past season and defense (aside from turnovers) was the Warriors downfall.
The Warriors simply are a worse coached team under Smart than Nellie. Smart currently ranks in the very bottom in the ranks of NBA head coaches. I wouldn't be too surprised if this is a 1 year or interim head coaching gig.
Point blank: Don Nelson could take this team to the playoffs. Keith Smart probably cannot. It's just asking way too much from him.
No playoffs for the Warriors? Nope, says Atma Brother #1. But if no playoffs, what do we have to look forward to?
- Andris Biedrins and his 16% FT will be playing somewhere else by next August.
- Monta Ellis has his league-leading 3.8 turnovers a game will be playing somewhere else by next August.
- Larry Riley will be this team's GM for this season and the next at a minimum.
- Either Dan Gadzuric ($7.2 million) or Vladamir Radmonovic's ($6.9 million) expiring contracts will actually be used to improve this team hoops-wise in a trade before the 2011 NBA trading deadline. (I know, what a concept.)
- Everyone will miss and finally appreciate Don Nelson. Man I'm going to miss The Don Nelson Show on KNBR with The Razor and Mr. T.
34-48
Meaning, no playoffs
Don't get me wrong though. This will be a fun and interesting season.
Isn't it always?
What are your predictions? Think the Warriors can do better than 34 wins? For more discussion about all the pre-season Warriors excitement, check out Golden State of Mind for more updates.