The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone and the Warriors have a 2012 second round pick to show for it. With superstars in Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams changing teams and former All-Stars in Baron Davis relocating to the outposts of the NBA, teams are making plans for the present and future. Things are looking brighter for teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, too, who managed to secure the big man they've desperately needed in Kendrick Perkins. Competitive teams stayed competitive and, unfortunately, the Warriors did not necessarily look like one of those teams at all. Even with the Warriors hands tied by lack of tradeable assets and useless expirings with a pending lockout, management seemed to send mixed signals that showed neither strategy nor savvy. In this special 2011 NBA Chat "Trade Deadline" edition, Eric Perdiguerra and Brian Chung talk about what went down in Warriors land the last few days and what was bizarrer than Hungarian Women's Water Polo team taking steroids.
B: While the rumor mill swirled about teams making blockbuster deals to shore up the deficient parts of their current squads (many making these rumors a reality), the Golden State Warriors made a whole lot of noise, too, in their own way, but without much action. And honestly, these rumored trade headlines starring the Warriors bordered on the absolute ludicrous, if you ask me. First local media sources said they were trying to extract LaMarcus Aldridge or Chris Kaman because Riley said he wanted an "impact player" and an offensive AND defensive powerhouse in the inside. Then the Troy Murphy deals that lingered for a few days, which possibly was going to bring us, again, Antawn Jamison. Oddly, both not the "impact players" Riley said he wanted. What the heck? These are complete contradictions. Was this all smoke and mirrors to appease fans dying for some action?
E: Indeed this has been one of the most action packed trade deadline days in recent memory. Everyone seemed to have an idea of pieces they wanted moved, picks they wanted to acquire, funds they wanted to allocate and... oh forget it. For the first Trade Deadline Day under the Lacob-Gruber Regime, this has got to be a disappointment. The idea that doing nothing was as strategic as the many other players in the game that made moves to better their teams is part of a bumbling song and dance that has led to almost a decade and a half of frustration. With all the names that moved around this trade period, you're really telling me, the Warriors could not have used any of these guys? The only thing that Larry Riley seemed to get done was reuniting with Troy Murphy, and even this was mostly on the heels of the Deron Williams trade. The Warriors are probably going to buyout the remainder of Murphy's contract and release him in which case several teams such as the Knicks and Celtics will bid for his services (no PT to donning a jersey with Copperplate Gothic on it to playoff contender, unbelievable). There were rumors about Antawn Jamison making his return to the Bay in exchange for Dre Biedrins and Murphy, but I'm even slightly embarrassed having to talk about these guys like they're news. On ESPN they'd be a scrolling footnote, which is probably why anything the Warriors do, from victories to single mother Christmas parties, get lost somewhere in between hockey highlights and suspected steroid use by the Hungarian Women's water polo team. I guess if Smart gets a bit of leeway in incorporating some semblance of a defense then Riley gets a bit of leeway in incorporating some semblance of actual general management.
B: Dude, seriously. I think you hit it on the head with this. Granted, the Warriors probably didn't have the trade pieces to get a guy like Deron Williams, but they probably could have swung for someone LIKE Jeff Green or anyone of those other wings. This all seems pretty senseless for a team that is trying to creep into that eight spot in what looks to be a weakened Western Conference now. I find Hungarian female steroid use much more intriguing, believable, and, oddly, SEXIER than some of these bizarro headlines from the Warriors camp. What are your thoughts on the alleged Nate Robinson trade or the Landry Fields pipe dreams? The Warriors said they needed a 2-guard, but, seriously, you want ANOTHER undersized guard with an already undersized backcourt? THEN Lacob telling people he would have drafted Landry Fields had the Warriors actually had a second round pick last draft? Given the Warriors draft history, I highly doubt Fields would have been on their radar. Honestly, what is the method to this madness? Maybe madness is the method.
E: Yeah, the Warriors stance has always seemed to be either not wanting to break up the chemistry that they've built, or making a trade just to make a trade. So although this is true, we might not have had the pieces to land a major difference maker, I had thought given the recent shake ups in the West, the Warriors could have made some minor moves to position themselves towards the seventh or eighth spot. Just making the playoffs in the first year of new ownership would be the perfect way to change the culture, not the apparent attempts to rekindle old flames. Not to knock Landry at all, he has been quite the surprise in Madison Square Garden and as our homies from UNDRCRWN pointed out, Modell's Sporting Goods. But in this league there's no room for regretting non-existent draft picks and 10 pts and 7 rebs. that you let slip away. Is it too much to ask for at least some form of progress? Maybe progress is asking too much, maybe just a different course of action?
B: I don't know if ‘progress' was in the Chris Cohan-era vocabulary. But, if there is a silver lining, at least we know Lacob is at least publicly telling people that he wants to make moves and make this team a contender. For that, I guess that's "progress" enough? I agree that the Warriors could have gotten something, but seemed to just go the ‘easy' route of playing off nostalgia. Seriously though, is playing off nostalgia getting a bit old? Wasn't Chris Webber's swan song enough already? Fans didn't need to see Don Nelson and Chris Webber squash their 15 year beef and we DEFINITELY didn't need to see Jamison back in a Warriors jersey. For these reasons alone, I'm skeptical about what Riley and company are currently doing. Granted, there's only been 2/3rds of a season that Lacob/Guber have had to do anything, inheriting a squad equivalent to the Ford Pinto as far as reliability. But seriously, as of right now, these rekindling of old flames feels like cheap feel-good attempts at playing off fan nostalgia. Honoring Rick Berry recently, a hall of famer that has had a well-documented bad relationship with the Warriors in recent years, feels like the Warriors marketing team is just taking our memories straight to the bank. Lets talk about the future!
E: Unfortunately Larry Riley still gives me remnants of the Don Nelson era, and not the whooptie wooo 2007 Playoff type feelings, more like giving up 120 points a game 30 wins of excitement feelings. But you're right B, Lacob's platform does seem to promote change, and not abrupt change for the sake of change change, but intuitive change for the better of the franchise type change. Before the last game versus a team they apparently didn't deserve to be on the same floor with, the Warriors were on a pretty good run, especially versus winning playoff caliber teams. Despite the shortcomings (mainly size) of our dynamic backcourt, opposing teams have had to actually devise defensive schemes to minimize the damage done by the 2011 Skills Champion and the perennial All Star snub. It seems the biggest problem the Warriors may have is depth and the quality of their bench (which wouldn't be the case if it was headed by the great Landry Fields). Although your friendly neighborhood Warrior fan has every right to be frustrated and impatient, a proper Lacob-Gruber draft and offseason is as deserving as a proper Keith Smart training camp.
What are your thoughts on the warriors non-maneuvers this trade deadline? Could the Warriors have done better? Or are you glad they didn't do worse?
Loading comments...