GO TO SEASON THREAD.

[luong1209]

​

Welp, there's our season guys !

Being a fan for so long, we've all seen the lowest of lows and it's more than refreshing being able to see the Warriors come this far. I don't think anyone is actually bitter about losing this round. They've far exceeded any of our expectations and have been nothing but resilient this year fighting back from adversity. It's a young team with much to be excited for - With that said, it's been a great run in 2012/2013...Can't wait for what 2013/2014 has in store. Go Warriors!

 

[antidope]

The upcoming offseason will be an interesting one for the Golden State Warriors.

Of course, all offseasons are interesting for the fanbase of any particular team. And when compared to the offseasons of Warriors past, this one may in fact be relatively dull.

For one, Golden State does not have a draft pick. 

Of the Warriors' five free agents-to-be, only Jarrett Jack does not have a player option to remain for one more season. Considering that three of the other four free agents—Brandon Rush, Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson—are either coming off of severe injuries or near the ends of their careers, they are all but guaranteed to stay.

Even if Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry (the other potential free agent) leave, the Warriors will only have a bench spot or two to fill. This summer will be nothing like last, when the Warriors added seven new players, including two new starters and an almost entirely new bench.

This will, however, be a unique offseason. Golden State will, for the first time in decades, attempt to fine-tune a roster. To make better what's already good. To subtly add without subtracting.

As much as the Warriors have going for them right now, the future appears to pack even more promise.

Of course, the future has a tendency to glow brightly. Actual success once the future becomes the present takes serious work.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes are all 25 years old or younger, and all three have unbelievable potential.

Curry is the most developed of the bunch, as he has become an NBA superstar. Even so, he has such rare ability handling the ball, passing the ball, shooting the ball and moving off the ball that he is nowhere close to his ceiling yet.

Thompson avoided a sophomore slump last season, showing that he's a diligent worker and is capable of adapting his game faster than opposing players and teams can adapt to him. If his work ethic remains the same, he could be one of the most lethal two-way shooting guards in the game.

Barnes had a solid rookie season, but it was a season in which the promise he showed far outweighed his actual level of production. This was in large part due to the fact that Barnes was playing for a team with so many players more established than himself that his minutes were limited, as were the number of plays run for him.

This postseason, Barnes has had his number called far more often. This is mostly a result of David Lee's absence, but also because defenses have focused so much attention on Curry and Thompson. Barnes has responded by emerging as a dangerous, borderline dominant isolation scorer on mismatches.

How hard these three work this offseason will play a huge role in determining whether this team will again finish in the 47-win ballpark or if they'll rise to an elite level.

Progression must be demanded from Curry, Thompson and Barnes, as regressions are possible from players such as Jarrett Jack (if he re-signs) and David Lee.

Jack will be 30 next year, and he played what was likely the best basketball of his NBA career for the first four months of this season. Due to Jack's incredible play, the Warriors got out to a sizzling start despite early struggles from Thompson and Curry.

Jack's shooting percentages and assist numbers regressed as the season went on, and his poor decision-making became more visible as a result. Still, Jack has hit clutch shots all season long and has been the run-stopper and run-starter this Golden State team has needed.

The Warriors cannot count on another first half like Jack had this year and would be unwise to assume his clutch shooting will continue.

Lee will also be 30 next season, and after leading the NBA in double-doubles in 2012-13, he really doesn't have anywhere to go but down.

That isn't to say Lee will struggle, he is just very unlikely to improve. His biggest weaknesses are his lack of agility, leaping ability and strength, and all three tend to get worse with age. Compounding this is the fact that Lee will almost certainly have surgery this offseason to repair his torn hip flexor.

The Warriors' expected win-loss record based on their scoring differential in 2012-13 was 44-38. That means that every clutch shot from Jack and every monster game from Lee was necessary to make the Warriors the No. 6 seed that they are.

If these two regress, the Warriors need to improve elsewhere.

Golden State's bench does not need to be reshuffled due to lack of production. On the contrary, few teams have the strength in numbers the Warriors do.

This, however, could create its own problems.

Consider how many minutes there are to go around for an NBA bench. There are 240 minutes (48 minutes times five spots on the floor) available. About 77 of those went to Golden State's bench this season.

An improved Harrison Barnes and a healthy Andrew Bogut are likely to eat up the extra minutes Stephen Curry sits next season to keep his body fresh or David Lee sits due to a slightly reduced role.

At most, Golden State's bench will have 80 minutes to work with. As the roster stands now, this will not work.

Upcoming free agents Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry combined for 53 minutes this year, and neither will return to Oakland if they suspect a reduction.

If they both return and again play 53 minutes, this will leave only 27 for Brandon Rush, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green and garbage-time players. Ezeli will need at least 10 of those minutes as the backup center, leaving only 17 for Rush and Green.

Considering that Rush, if healthy, will expect more than 17 minutes and Green cannot and should not play negative minutes, this simply will not work.

To solve this problem, Golden State has no choice but to get rid of one player who played significant minutes this season. Considering that Jack and Landry are the team's two free agents who played significant minutes this year, one of these two may have to go.

The Warriors will not have a transaction-heavy offseason.

In 2012-13, they made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons despite their biggest acquisition, Andrew Bogut, missing 50 games. In the playoffs, they lost their All-Star power forward in David Lee, yet they are currently in a heated battle with the San Antonio Spurs for a spot in the conference finals.

Considering how young they are (the eighth-youngest team in the NBA), this type of success in the face of adversity puts this Warriors roster in a position to thrive for years to come.

Their biggest obstacle appears to be health.

Not only did Bogut miss 50 games this season, but even upon his return, he was also not as effective as he could have been.

Stephen Curry has played through the postseason incredibly beat up, with both of his ankles bothering him as well as his hamstring.

These two, along with the injured Lee, are perhaps the three most developed Warriors on the court and the team's leaders both on and off of it. No matter how much Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson, Festus Ezeli and others grow, the success of the 2013-14 Warriors will hinge on the health of these three.

While other teams will bid on Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala this summer, Golden State must focus on everyone who's already in the fold and making sure they are as best prepared as possible.

Simply having Curry, Bogut and Lee 100 percent healthy for opening day will be a home run of an offseason for Golden State.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/golden_state.htm

One more year of Jefferson and Biedrens

 

[gllahone84]

Ya'll had a great run. 

 

[daprescription]

Just don't sign Troy Hudson.

 

[luong1209]

Sign Rob Kurz.

 

[luong1209]

Hopefully there's a team that can use two expiring contracts ...

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

This team was beat up at the end


Was a Great Season

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

This team should get even better when Rush is back

 

[dland24]

Hopefully there's a team that can use two expiring contracts

...

Thats going to be the interesting storyline for the offseason as well as into next season.  Do we try to trade our expirings for useful players, or do we simply let them expire and try to make a splash in free agency AFTER next year?  The list of free agents after next season is pretty damn impressive.

 

[rrlegend]

love offseason threads. this team has so may possibilities with their players . obviously your keeping klay and harrison, than you got landry and jack to ponder about, brandon rush should be back and its curious to see whats gonna happen with that, david lee is a warrior for certain but is he expendable now since they have went with small ball line up that works also im curious to see what's really up with his hip, andrew bogut is gonna be a free agent next off season and I'm waiting to see how he holds up, and of course you have jefferson and andres comng off the books are they trade bait or just free cap when they expire ?

 

[mjshoefanatic]

congrats on the cool season and decent playoff run.

 

[antidope]

Hopefully there's a team that can use two expiring contracts

...

Thats going to be the interesting storyline for the offseason as well as into next season.  Do we try to trade our expirings for useful players, or do we simply let them expire and try to make a splash in free agency AFTER next year?   The list of free agents after next season is pretty damn impressive.

This is what they should do, and what I expect them to do.

 

[johnson1]

Welp....

It was a great season boys, truly an emotional roller-coaster. Proud of the never say die attitude this team showed all year, their belief in one another, and they have definitely built and foundation that will be crucial to the development of the young guys. Just ran out of gas at the end, and went up against a team full of quality veterans that made some HUGE shots, and are probably looking at their last ride.

Team Grades

Stephen Curry - Officially vaulted himself into Elite status, top 5 PG in the NBA, one of the most exciting play makers in the game today. From the regular season 3PT record to the way he led the team in the playoffs, it was truly a magical year for him. Should be a fixture in the All-Star game for years to come, but it all depends on the ankles. Has to work on making better decisions and taking better shots, cutting down on the turnovers, and getting stronger overall. GRADE - A

Harrison Barnes - That fall was scary, and even with how serious head injuries can be, I'm glad it wasn't a knee or anything. First Team All-Rookie, has the makings of a future All-Star, needs to work more on defensive skills and 3 PT shooting consistency. Really helped the team by playing beyond his years in the playoffs, and showed toughness in taking the ball to the hoop with the first step and crossover, kept us in games when Curry and Thompson outside shots weren't falling. Showed legit pull-up jumper ability, real composure in crunch time situations. GRADE - A-

David Lee - Leading the NBA in double-doubles and making the All-Star team is impressive, no matter how you slice it. Who knows if we were actually a better team when he went out, but it's clear that he is a leader and technically the heart and soul of this team. Showed heart by playing whatever minutes he could after the injury, and I look forward to him bouncing back. At this point in his career, I don't know if much can be done in regards to his defensive "deficiency", but at least he tries. GRADE - B+

Jarrett Jack - Took a lot of blame for pounding the air out of the ball in the playoffs and making some stupid turnovers, but the plain and simple fact is that we wouldn't have even made playoffs and advanced this far without his contributions. Made big shot after big shot all year, and I hope we can bring him back at a reasonable deal. Probably the best backup PG in the NBA, could start for a handful of teams. GRADE - B

Carl Landry - Along with Jack, gave us a solid 1-2 punch off the bench all year. If this guy was 3-4 inches taller, would be a legit starting PF in the league somewhere. Nice pick and pop 15-18 foot jump shot, showed resiliency by not giving up on plays and fighting for hoops even when his shots were blocked due to his size. Another guy I hope we keep for a while at a reasonable price. Any team in the league would want this guy coming off their bench. GRADE - B

Klay Thompson - I keep trying to convince myself that his struggles and "disappearance" during some crucial games is due to the fact he's only in his second year. One thing that rings true is that he has shown the ability to take over games, seems like a humble, good kid, and made huge strides defensively. One of the top 5 pure shooters in the game today, and I hope he can use the experiences of this year to build confidence and consistency. I have by no means lost my belief in his ability, but has some work to do to restore his reputation. Grade lowered due to overall inconsistency. GRADE B-

Andrew Bogut - Defensively, the guy clearly makes this team better with his overall tenacity on the boards and willingness to contest shots at the rim, does not care if he gets dunked on. However, the lack of overall confidence on the offensive end is alarming, he used to be a legit 15 pt scorer, and watching him play hot-potato all year was ridiculous sometimes. I honestly think that there is somewhat of a Biedrins effect in relation to his free throws and offensive aggressiveness, needs to spend this off-season recapturing whatever he lost and getting more healthy and in-shape in general. But you never know about these 7 footers and foot injuries. Gave him a little extra on the grade due to a couple huge performances when we needed it, mainly game 6 vs Denver. GRADE C+

Festus Ezeli - Has the body, toughness, athletic ability and smarts to be a potential solid C in this league. Overall looked pretty lost out on the court, but for a rookie gave us some big minutes and I only see him getting better. Must work on overall offensive repertoire, catching the damn ball, and smarter use of his fouls. GRADE C+

Draymond Green - The guy started out decent, then sucked so bad I thought he should be cut, then showed up in the first round against Denver, especially game 6. Wasn't afraid of the moment, and made some big plays for us which I can probably attribute to his 4 years at MSU and playing in tons of important games. Must work on shooting and he could probably lose about 15-20 lbs and be quicker.GRADE - C

View media item 415324

 

[4one5]

Looks like Jack wants to be back with the Warriors.

http://www.ibabuzz.com/warriors/201...-reiterates-his-desire-to-stay-with-warriors/

A Teary Jarrett Jack Reiterates His Desire to Stay With Warriors
Guard Jarrett Jack was on the verge of tears as he stood at his locker. He couldn’t find the words to truly express what he was feeling, so he let his attire do the talking for him.

JACK: “Usually before I would do any media, I would make sure I was dressed a certain way. I brought one of my best suits. But looking down at this jersey, it’s just a sense of pride I don’t think I’ve ever felt as a professional. … Nothing in my closet is better than what I have on now.”

Perhaps it was the disappointing end to a magical run. Perhaps reality had hit him that he may have spent his last minutes in a Warriors uniform. And he didn’t want to take it off.

When the final horn had sounded, the Warriors shook hands with the Spurs and headed to the locker room. But Jack remained. He circled the court, a towel over his head, clapping with the fans. Before long, his teammates and coaches returned. They all took a bow at midcourt before guard Stephen Curry took the microphone and thanks the thousands of fans in yellow shirts remaining.

His future with the Warriors is uncertain. Jack, who made $5 million this season, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He played a pivotal role in the Warriors’ success as the back-up point guard and the late-game ball-handler. So much so, Golden State reached out for extension talks back in January, but Jack declined before talks could get going so he could focus on the season.

Based on his performance with the Warriors, Jack is expected to get several opportunities and lots of money on the free agent market. Also complicating matters is the rise of rookie Harrison Barnes. An increased role for the starting small forward could mean a reduced role for Jack.

Whether he takes the more lucrative offer else where, or whether the Warriors make a competitive offer to keep him in the Bay Area, that will all be figured out this summer. But Jack was never more clear about for whom he wants to play: Golden State.

JACK: “I hope so, man. Obviously there are other things that go into seeing if that works — we all know this is a business at the end of the day. If I could do it, if I could rearrange it, I would definitely be back at this same locker.”

 

[dland24]

Hopefully there's a team that can use two expiring contracts

...

Thats going to be the interesting storyline for the offseason as well as into next season.  Do we try to trade our expirings for useful players, or do we simply let them expire and try to make a splash in free agency AFTER next year?   The list of free agents after next season is pretty damn impressive.

This is what they should do, and what I expect them to do.

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

doubt it will happen but if it did.

 

[dland24]

Its not gonna happen.  I was kidding when I posted that. 

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

We can dream?

 

[luong1209]

LeBron is my favorite player (active) and it'd be a dream come true if they happened .

 

[dland24]

We can dream?

Yep.  We can dream.  I'd put it in in the same category of likeliness of me hitting the powerball on saturday.....which I plan on doing by the way. 

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

Good luck, sir

 

[luong1209]

Ah, the old off topic discussions...

I should play as well...If I win it all, I'm buying court-side seats for all regulars for all home games.

 

[king milaac]

Klay Thompson - I keep trying to convince myself that his struggles and "disappearance" during some crucial games is due to the fact he's only in his second year. One thing that rings true is that he has shown the ability to take over games, seems like a humble, good kid, and made huge strides defensively. One of the top 5 pure shooters in the game today, and I hope he can use the experiences of this year to build confidence and consistency. I have by no means lost my belief in his ability, but has some work to do to restore his reputation. Grade lowered due to overall inconsistency. GRADE B-

 

I think Klay deserves a little more credit here. Yes, he was very inconsistent, but the improvement in his game this year over last year was huge. Specifically, his defense, the guy spent a lot of time in the off season last year working on his D and it showed this year. He has the body to be great defender against other SG in the league and people don't realize how his defensive presence played a role against the Nuggets and the Spurs. For that alone I think Klay deserves at least a B+ grade this year. Sorry, I'm asian and overly critical about grades 

 

[dland24]

Ah, the old off topic discussions...

I should play as well...If I win it all, I'm buying court-side seats for all regulars for all home games.

Quoted for proof.

 

[luong1209]

I've always said I'd only need a fraction of all the winnings...If I won the lottery, I think one of the funnest things I can do is go around SF and randomly pay for people's meals.