The addition of Mike Malone to the Warriors coaching staff was a pivotal move by Mark Jackson and it represented an organizational shift towards defense. New Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone has been the “defensive coordinator” for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New Orleans Hornets. He’s been trained under some of the best defensive coaches, such as Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Brown, and Monty Williams, so it’s not surprising that he will become the defensive voice of the coaching staff.
Matt Steinmetz interviewed Mike Malone about the Warriors’ new defensive schemes, their new dedication to rebounding, and what their offense will look like. Malone claimed that the new Warriors will still be a run-and-gun team, but their run game will originate from defensive stops. He stressed that the Warriors’ style of play will center around: defense, rebounding, running with discipline, and valuing the basketball.
Read more about about his views on the lockout and this upcoming seasonhere.
NBA owners and the players’ union have met for the past 3 days in order to save the 2011-2012 season. They’ve negotiated for more than 30 hours this week and it has led absolutely nowhere. The fact that a deal wasn’t reached signals that more games will be canceled, and it becomes more and more likely that the upcoming season will never even happen. The owners refuse to accept the players’ offer of a 53-47 BRI split. The players lowered their offer from a 53 BRI to a 52.5 BRI today and that just wasn’t enough. The owners have practically given the players an ultimatum, which implies that the players must accept the 50-50 BRI suggested by the owners and if they don’t, there will be no further negotiations. This seems to be a vicious cycle of stubbornness. The players are the only ones that are compromising in this situation, and the owners refuse to relinquish any power. Union executive director Billy Hunter said, “We’ve made concession after concession after concession, and it’s just not enough. No way, we fought too long, we made too many sacrifices to get where we are.” Both sides are still remaining fairly quiet on how much progress is being made, but based on how Hunter responded, not much positivity can come out of this situation.
If the players are truly adamant about having a season and showing appreciation to the fans, than it seems as if the players will have to compromise, yet again, and just accept the 50-50 BRI deal. The players will not receive a better deal at this point, and if they don’t act quickly, the entire season will be lost. It’s unfortunate that the players will have to continue to concede in order to please the greedy, power-hungry owners, but this seems like this is the only possible solution to this whole mess. This prolonged lockout is taking a serious toll on the fans and the players, also. Anthony Tolliver, former Warrior and current member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been involved in many of the negotiations, and tweeted earlier, “I want to personally apologize to all the #NBA fans and every1 else affected by this stupidity. I really hope that this can be resolved soon.” Chris Paul tweeted earlier, “Sad day for basketball fans everywhere, “Take it or leave it” is what we heard from the owners so here we are…apologies to the fans!” Dwyane Wade also tweeted earlier, “You know its sad when people don’t even try and hide their greed..#NBALockout.” Lastly, Stephen Curry tweeted earlier today, “Just a summary. The players know how important the fans r to what we do. Would not jeopardize that unless we knew we r being exploited because of greedy owners. We r truly blessed to make what we make to do what we do. Why would we GIVE UP game checks just to get more. If you follow it closely, we r the only side giving concessions. Constant concessions to bridge the “gap”. All good. Sry to fans. Love yall.” This situation has gotten out of hand, and the only solution is for the players to compromise. If that doesn’t happen, then NBA fans will have to get used to more failed negotations and more NBA games being canceled.
It all started when MLB told Brian Wilson that he couldn’t show too much orange on his cleats. This was such an absurd claim, especially since MLB claimed that the hitters that Wilson was facing were “distracted” by the immense amount of orange on his cleats. The reason why these particular hitters might have been slightly “distracted” could be that Wilson throws 98 mph fastballs, which breeze past most competent hitters. I severely doubt that his shoes were at all offensive to the hitters. MLB required that his shoes be 50% orange and 50% black. This sounds amusing, but sadly, this is actually what was required by the league. Again, so absurd. As a form of mockery, Wilson “Sharpie-d” 50% of the shoes so it was a more “balanced” shoe.
The original orange shoes
Once he started to grow out the beard, Wilson decided to continue the trend of mockery. Wilson decided to use the “Just For Men” treatment for his beard, just to ensure that 50% of his hair was black. Wilson refused to admit to this, but it was quite obvious that he was making a statement. And it was a funny one. It was a proverbial slap in the face directed at MLB. Wilson proved to be an extremely effective closer down the stretch, so fans created the “Fear the Beard” trend. It became a national story and fans started bringing “Fear the Beard” signs on all Giants road trips. “The Beard” became a symbol for the 2010 Giants team and all the weirdness that defined it. “The Beard” was the perfect representation of the sense of hope, perseverance, and humor that this particular team exuded.
The Sharpie Shoes
As a diehard Giants fan, I’ve got to say that “The Beard” became more than just a funny story for the Giants during the 2010 season. “The Beard” became the national symbol for all the outcasts and misfits on that team. This team had all the possible quirks, yet everyone truly believed in them. At the beginning of the 2011 season, “The Beard” became bigger and more exaggerated. Wilson refused to let it go. The reason why wasn’t exactly clear, but it could be that Wilson was superstitious or he just really enjoyed being a trend setter. Also, fans still seemed to enjoy it.
I can maybe understand why Wilson would keep his beard for the 2011 season, because all athletes have a form of superstition, so he could have thought that “The Beard” could lead to another World Series title. Everyone knows how the story of how the 2011 season ends, so there’s no point on dwelling on it. Clearly, his beard’s “magical powers” don’t exist, so what’s the point of keeping it? Wilson loves his new fame, and “The Beard” certainly brings him lots of attention and adoration. Wilson has become quite the fame whore, especially since he has starred in two commercials this summer. The first was in a Taco Bell commercial:
The second is for NBA 2K12:
Some fans might find these commercials amusing, but I find them overly exaggerated and just annoying. “The Beard” is no longer the symbol of hope. It has become an overplayed, overused act that is no longer funny and no longer relevant. Brian Wilson needs to shave the beard not just because it’s not funny anymore, but in a sense, it would be a way for him (and the team) to move on from the torture that was this past season. New trends and new traditions can be started this upcoming season, because the Giants are an entertaining, creative team. There really is no point in keeping the beard anymore, except for purely selfish reasons on Wilson’s part. The Giants don’t need a beard to win. It clearly didn’t help this season. Wilson must be keeping the beard around because he loves the attention he receives and the fame that comes with it. “The Beard” started off as a humorous way to bring together the players on the 2010 Giants team, but now it doesn’t do any good for the team and is simply a publicity stunt. The Giants need to move on from the 2011 season, and if Brian Wilson shaved his beard, it would show that the players mean business and are serious about repeating their World Series title.
It’s now official. After many unsuccessful meetings between the owners and the players’ union, David Stern has officially canceled the first two weeks of the 2011-2012 season. 100 games have been canceled between the span of November 1st and November 14th. Yesterday served as the deadline to reach a new collective bargaining agreement and to maintain a full season. It’s unlikely that there will be any more negotiations this coming week, which means more waiting time for fans. David Stern, after the meeting, said that the players and owners were, “very far apart on virtually all issues. … We just have a gulf that separates us.” Players’ union president, Derek Fisher, agreed and said, “This is not where we choose to be. We’re not at a place where a fair deal can be reached with the NBA.”
The owners told the players that they must accept a 50-50 BRI in order to create a new bargaining agreement. The players had already decreased their offer of accepting 57 BRI to accepting a 53 BRI, but the owners don’t seem to acknowledge any form of compromise. The players seem to want a season much more than the owners, because the owners have decided to play the “waiting game.” They’re hoping to get what they want by using the players’ paychecks as leverage. They figure once the players miss their first few paychecks, they’ll cave and agree to whatever deal the owners have in mind. This is quite a condescending view especially since the players have adamantly stated that they plan to “Stand United.” The owners believe their offer is completely fair, which could be the case, but at this point the difference in the offers is a matter of 3% BRI. In the grand scheme of things, this small percentage is still millions of dollars, but if the owners were truly serious about having a full season, they could have compromised. Watch the video below (by clicking on the picture) to see ESPN analyst Chris Broussard discuss what else the owners and players don’t agree on:
The fact that this upcoming season will be shortened isn’t exactly a surprise to fans. However, this next phase of discussions (whenever they actually happen) is crucial. Fans still expect a season. Fans want a season. If the owners were so stubborn to not change their offer and therefore let the season slip away, the NBA probably would not be able to recover. Ratings were at an all-time high during the playoffs and at the end of the season, and if there is no season, the NBA’s popularity and ratings will suffer greatly. Fans are frustrated with both the owners and the players. There was a poll on ESPN, which asked “Which side is more responsible for the NBA labor impasse?”. Last time I checked, there was a total of 23,944 votes. 50% of all votes said that the blame was equally shared between the owners and players. 28% of all votes said that just the owners were to blame, and 22% said the players were to blame. Fans are past the point of figuring out which side is being unfair. Earlier in the summer when the lockout wasn’t as serious, fans could truly analyze the situation and see whether the owners or the players should be blamed for the lockout. However, at this point, fans just want a season, so it doesn’t really matter what side caused the frustration of this whole situation. As a result, half of the fans around the nation blame both sides for this mess.
On that note, it seems as though the fans have not been considered at all in this process. It would require a sort of selflessness amongst the owners and players to realize that fans drive revenue, so they should be considered when discussing a new agreement. However, selflessness doesn’t seem to be common in that crowd. The owners and players have not had to have a sense of urgency and this alone has caused stress and angst for fans. The NBA is no longer about the “love of the game” and providing excellent entertainment for fans. This lockout has shown that no one cares about the fans anymore, and clearly, the “love of the game” isn’t enough to save the season. The owners and players have set up a vicious cycle for themselves. The longer the lockout goes on, the fans become more and more frustrated, and if there ever is a season, the NBA will have already lost some of its fans due to the owners’ and players’ inability to compromise. J.A. Adande, a sports writer for ESPN, said that the main point that fans need to know about this lockout is, “Don’t believe what’s being offered to you.” The owners and players have already limited what information they release to the public about their discussions, and according to Adande, even if they did, fans shouldn’t believe them anyway. This could also mean that no matter what fans hear about this lockout, ultimately, the situation could be much worse than it actually seems.
David Stern
When will the NBA season start then? Stern has suggested that if more weeks need to be canceled, it will come more easily and more quickly than this time. He also suggested though that now that the first two weeks have been canceled, it’s unlikely that this would lead to losing the entire season. Should fans believe this? According to Adande, no way. It’s extremely likely that more weeks will be canceled. The whole month of November is likely to be canceled, but what about Decemeber? There’s a chance that there will be some NBA games before Christmas, but it’s probably more likely that the season will start in January. Once November starts and the players and owners aren’t experiencing their normal routines during the season (especially like getting paychecks), they will realize a deal must be reached. This sense of urgency will certainly be delayed, but I guess it’s better late than never.
Matt Steinmetz had two posts recently on the CSN Bay Area website that have caught my attention. The first post discusses the current Warriors roster (from last season) and what players will most likely be back this upcoming season. Because of the lockout, the Warriors might have very limited time to sign any free agents, so the current Warriors roster will most likely be the same roster for this season. There are a few players that might be cut or sent to the D-League, but other than that, the 2010-2011 Warriors roster will be very similar to the 2011-2012 roster. Steinmetz lists every player and how many years/money is left on their contract, which is helpful in order to review who will be back this season. Within the post, there was a poll that asked “Who is the most important player for the future of the Warriors?” The possible answers were Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Davis Lee, and Klay Thompson. I had to answer it, mostly just to see the results, and I voted for Stephen Curry, obviously. Stephen Curry received 82% of all votes, Monta Ellis received 14%, David Lee received 0%, and Klay Thompson received 2%. I thought this was quite interesting along with being extremely true. Stephen Curry is the future of the Warriors, not Monta Ellis. This starts a whole other discussion, so look for this topic in another post in the future.
Read this post here.
Anyway, on to the other Matt Steinmetz post. This particular post is about the NBA lockout. Steinmetz shares his views on what the players want vs. what the owners want, if there will even be a season, and if there is, how long it will be. It was great to hear Steinmetz’ view on the lockout, because many other opinions on this subject are pessimistic, not just about when the lockout will end, but pessimistic in tone. It was refreshing to hear a more positive take on the lockout with a little more hope and a little less complaining.
Read this posthere.
When the Golden State Warriors picked Klay Thompson with the number 11 pick in this year’s draft, there was a swirling sense of mixed emotion. Actually, mixed emotions is an understatement. This draft pick sent varying amounts of panic throughout Warriors fans. Klay Thompson is not really known for his defensive prowess, so this was slightly concerning. Especially since Mark Jackson, the new head coach, has preached defense as the new identity of the Warriors, so this pick was not exactly a ringing endorsement. Some fans felt confusion and discomfort with the pick. Some felt utter joy, for various reasons. Some believed that Klay Thompson was an extremely valuable asset, and the Warriors were lucky to draft him. Others felt joy simply because this might have signaled the departure of Monta Ellis. No matter what the overall consensus was on this pick, we all knew this draft would be weak, so we had to go in with relatively low expectations. With that in mind, Klay Thompson seems to be an acceptable draft pick for the Warriors.
The real question though is, what will Klay Thompson’s role be this upcoming season (if there ever is one)? Some analysts believe that he is ready to be a starter. This seems pretty drastic, so instead, let’s assume he’ll be a role/bench player. It makes more sense to examine how effective he can be, not just in the league, but specifically for the Warriors. Let’s start with the positive side. Klay Thompson has a strong all-around game. He has a high basketball IQ, he moves without the ball gracefully, and can score in large numbers. His game has been compared to Brandon Roy, which is a fantastic model to follow. Like Brandon Roy, they both have solid, reliable jump shots, they have good size for shooting guards (Thompson is 6’7″ and Roy is 6’6″), they are strong ball handlers, and they can both easily score 40 points on any given night. Last season with Washington State University, Thompson averaged 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, .9 blocks, and 1.6 steals while shooting 43.6% from the field, 39.8% from 3 point range, and 83.8% from the free throw line. These all appear to be strong numbers, but what’s a little concerning is that for a shooting guard, he collectively only shot 42.3% from the field in 3 seasons in the NCAA. Just for comparison, Brandon Roy played 4 seasons at the University of Washington, and over those 4 seasons he shot 51.2% from the field. Brandon Roy was ultimately drafted higher, but Thompson’s field goal percentage is still of some concern if his game is so similar to Roy’s.
Brandon Roy
This leads into the more negative aspects of Thompson’s game. Thompson has been criticized for his lack of athleticism especially in transition. When driving to the basket in a half-court offense, Thompson can be athletic only against a certain type of defender. However, during fast breaks, his slow food speed is exposed. He can’t always react fast enough to quick defenders in a half-court or full-court set, and this can inhibit his ability to drive to the basket. He also has never shown a strong commitment to defense. Thompson’s coach Ken Bone at WSU discussed Klay’s defense and said, “I do hope he continues to work on his defense. He has shown, at times with us, where he could really guard. He has great basketball instincts, he competes well, he has about a six-foot-nine wingspan – but he didn’t always play great defense.” Klay Thompson is a hard worker, and if given the right motivation (from his former or current coach), he could become a much better defender. If Coach Mark Jackson actually follows through on his claim to distribute playing time based on who plays defense, than Klay Thompson will have no choice but to improve his overall defense. We’ll have to wait and see if Thompson is able to respond to this challenge.
In a perfect world, let’s assume that Klay Thompson will improve his defense enough that Mark Jackson is comfortable playing him consistently. Will Thompson step up and become a solid rotation player or even fill the 6th man role for the team? I believe that Klay Thompson can become the Warriors’ 6th man. He might not win Rookie of the Year or anything, but he could truly become a consistent, effective contributor on this team that so badly needs a stronger bench presence. Jerry West clearly believes that Thompson is going to be an impactful player, otherwise he wouldn’t have had the strongest voice in the draft process for the Warriors. The whole coaching staff and management chose to believe in Jerry West and essentially let him decide who they would draft. Since management has strongly implied that Monta won’t be traded, it seems that Klay Thomspson should aim towards the 6th man role. He can fill in the back-up minutes for both Monta and Dorell Wright, so he’ll have many opportunities to become the “leader” of the bench. He has the perfect style of play to become that spark off that bench. He can score in bunches and if he becomes a better defender, it will be very difficult for Mark Jackson to not have him as the 6th man. Klay Thompson will need consistent minutes (about 25 minutes a game) to develop into the all-round star player that so many analysts saw during this draft process. If Klay Thompson is able to improve his defense, improve his transition game, and improve his leadership skills, he will become an effective and efficient player for the Warriors this upcoming season.
The 3rd Sister 