Golden State Warriors: A Perfect Offseason So Far

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

Make no mistake, the culture’s changing.

The Golden State Warriors made a series of moves in the past few days that have already, arguably, made them one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They traded Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, Brandon Rush, and first round picks in 2014 and 2017 to the Utah Jazz in order to clear cap space. They also received guard Kevin Murphy in the deal.

April 24, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob (right) and former general manager Larry Riley (right) motion for new general manager Bob Myers (center) to address a question from the media during a press conference before the game against the New Orleans Hornets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

With more cap room available, the Warriors were able to sign small forward Andre Iguodala to a four-year, $48 million dollar contract. The Warriors have been pursuing Iguodala for a couple years now, and their hard work has finally paid off. The best part of these corresponding moves was that the Warriors were able to keep Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, and Andrew Bogut and reduce their payroll for this upcoming season by $11 million.

Although the Warriors weren’t able to persuade Dwight Howard to sign with them, they still have a fantastic lineup. The Warriors will start Stephen Curry, Thompson or Barnes, Iguodala, David Lee, and Bogut.

Regardless of if Thompson or Barnes will start, the Warriors have so much talent in their starting lineup, with a good mix of both young players and veterans, that they will most certainly contend for some of the top spots in the Western Conference this upcoming season.

The Warriors were not only able to shed a significant amount of cap room, but they also were able to trade two players, Jefferson and Biedrins, who didn’t contribute much of anything last season. It’s a little unfortunate for fans to see Rush leave, but they should be optimistic about the player they were able to get by shedding these contracts.

Iguodala averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists with the Nuggets last season. For his career though, he’s averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. His scoring has declined over the past couple years, but he’s also expanded and developed his game more.

The one-time All-Star can do a little bit of everything. He can score, he can rebound, he can pass, and he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He’s also very active and intense on the court. He will bring lots of energy and passion to this team, because he is such a fierce competitor. He also makes big plays on both offense and defense when his team needs it the most, which the Warriors witnessed in their playoff series against the Nuggets. He’s versatile too, as he can play and guard several positions.

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) defends Denver Nuggets shooting guard Andre Iguodala (9) on the drive during the first quarter of game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors finally have someone who is strong enough and quick enough to guard players like Kevin Durant and LeBron James. He could also guard Russell Westbrook and help Thompson guard Tony Parker, if the Warriors end up facing the Spurs in the playoffs again next season.

Curry surely knows how good of a defender Iguodala is. Iguodala guarded Curry for much of the Warriors-Nuggets playoff series, and when Iguodala was defending him, Curry had a hard time establishing his rhythm and scoring. Iguodala used his length, size, and quickness to disrupt Curry.

Those two also have a history off the court. They both were on the USA men’s national basketball team that won the gold-medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, and they became good friends. It will be interesting to see how much of their chemistry on the court will carry over from that experience.

The addition of Iguodala will not affect the Warriors’ overall team chemistry. First of all, Iguodala’s skillset matches the other Warriors players’ skillsets very nicely. For example, he is aggressive on offense and likes to drive to the basket, which will help Thompson and Curry get open on the three-point line.

Second, his energy and enthusiasm will be great in the locker room. He’s a veteran presence who can help teach younger players such as Kent Bazemore or Nemanja Nedovic, if he is able to play for the Warriors next season. Iguodala is also a hard worker and focused on winning, which are qualities that can be contagious in a locker room.

Third, Iguodala loves playing in an up-tempo system like the Warriors play in. He loves utilizing his speed and athleticism in transition. He’s also used to playing in fast-paced games, because it’s the same style he played in on the Denver Nuggets.

Iguodala was offered a four-year, $52 million contract offer with the Sacramento Kings, but the Kings ultimately rescinded the offer. Iguodala wanted to play for a contending team, so he clearly wanted to wait and see if the Warriors were going to be able to move their large contracts and sign him.

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets shooting guard Andre Iguodala (9) congratulates Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

“Mainly, the coach and the culture, the environment,” Iguodala said about why he wanted to sign with the Warriors. “I feel like they have a good culture there, a lot of great guys, great locker room. The way they’ve got those guys playing with such confidence, that comes from the coach.”

The Warriors still have some areas to address though. Since Festus Ezeli is sidelined with a knee injury, Jarrett Jack signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Carl Landry signed with the Sacramento Kings, the Warriors need to acquire a backup center, a backup point guard (if Nedovic doesn’t play this upcoming season), and another big off the bench.

With the use of their traded player exceptions, the Warriors will have about $17 million to spend before they hit their hard cap. They will have to use this money to acquire players using minimum salary contracts, their full mid-level exception ($5.15 million first-year salary), or either their room exception ($2.6 million) or bi-annual exception (about $2 million).

After all of these moves, both the Warriors and Iguodala have to be extremely happy about this upcoming season. Now that a high-calibur player like Iguodala has signed with the Warriors, Golden State has become a destination where other players will want to play.

This is exactly what Joe Lacob wanted to happen. He wanted to create a winning franchise, make bold moves, and lure big-name free agents to sign with the Warriors. He certainly has done that and more so far. This offseason has been pretty close to perfect for the Warriors.

An Opinionated Reaction to the Heat’s NBA Finals Win
Photo by Jonathan Asuncion. (Philstar.com/NBA.com Philippines)

Photo by Jonathan Asuncion. (Philstar.com/NBA.com Philippines)

After last year’s Finals, I wrote about how disappointed and emotional I was that the Heat won. After the Heat beat the Spurs in Game 7 in this year’s NBA Finals, I can’t say that I’m any less disappointed or emotional. Unfortunately, my disdain and disapproval of the Heat has grown even stronger.

The Heat have a deeper roster than they did last year, so they are more of a “team” than they were last season. However, it still pains me to watch such a disrespectful, classless team win, especially when a quality team like the Spurs had a chance to win. To be fair, the Spurs had their opportunity in Game 6 to win, and they blew it. The Heat earned their Game 7 win, but it’s disappointing to watch a team built on such unsportsmanlike principles win the ultimate title in basketball.

Throughout the regular season, I couldn’t sit through an entire Heat game without feeling angry, baffled, or upset. I couldn’t stand watching a group of players that were so cocky and unsportsmanlike, including LeBron James, Chris Anderson, Chris Bosh, etc.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t mind watching Dwyane Wade. He continues to amaze me on both the offensive and defensive end. He has unmatchable speed, great instincts, and can side-step or fake out anyone he wants to. He also is an incredible shot blocker for a shooting guard. He’s the ultimate fierce competitor and, despite his struggles and battles with injuries, he looked like the best player on the Heat many times.

Despite my appreciation for Dwyane Wade’s game, LeBron James is the one that epitomizes my problems with the Heat. The amount of fawning and pure ass-kissing for LeBron from fans, analysts, and commentators is sickening. People act as if he’s the Messiah. He’s a basketball player. A cocky, ruthless athlete. Calm down, people.

LeBron’s endless complaining is also difficult to watch. Just like a four year-old, when something doesn’t go his way, his instinct is to put on his pouty face and complain. What’s even more maddening is that more often than not, he’s the one that’s creating the contact on the “foul” that he wants to have called.

He is so big and strong that he can get overly physical when on offense and defense and get away with it because of his massive size. He throws his elbows around and will give a sly shove to his defender in order to create the contact, in hopes of getting a foul call. Usually, he can fool a ref by doing that and shoot free throws that way. If not, he’ll receive the normal “superstar” treatment and get to the free throw line automatically. When he doesn’t get to the line, he complains about “being fouled” and acts like a victim.

Ronald Martinez, Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Ronald Martinez, Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Also, he epitomizes everything I loathe about the Heat. Yes, he is incredibly talented, athletic, and competitive. He is the best player in the NBA right now and might be one of the greatest players ever. I won’t deny that. However, I don’t respect how he plays the game. He’s always complaining about calls, grandstanding, unnecessarily taunting opposing teams, and he lacks class. Yes, many superstars have acted like that before. Maybe this is just me, but the players I like and respect the most are the ones that show character. They treat the game and their opponents with respect. They play for the love of the game not the fame, like LeBron does.

For example, one of my favorite NBA players is Kevin Durant. Durant is also a fierce competitor, but he never disrespects the game or his opponents. Even in commercials, Durant is always portrayed as the nice guy, and he’s not portrayed that way intentionally to try to gain fan approval like in LeBron’s commercials. Durant is naturally a kind person, and that’s what makes him the best superstar in the NBA, to me.

Another example is Stephen Curry, my absolute favorite player in the NBA. He is exactly the type of player that an organization would want to be the face of the franchise and would want to build around. He’s respectful, humble, and grateful. Curry is genuinely a good person, and his rise to superstardom has not changed who he is as a person or how he conducts himself on the court.

It was even more frustrating to witness LeBron’s conceited actions and unnecessary theatrics when he was playing a team that is the ultimate example of class. The Spurs organization has been one of the most respected franchises in all of sports for a long time. First of all, they have three of the most genuinely nice, respectful players in the NBA. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili are known league-wide for their respect of the game and their opponents, their dedication, and their hard work.

In addition to these three incredible players, the Spurs have built the core of their team the right way, through the draft. They have stated that they always try to draft players based on their character, not just their talent. They sure have had a lot of success because of these principles. The Spurs are truly the Anti-Heat.

The Heat are built on exactly what I don’t like about sports: big money for the superstars, classless principles, dirty plays, constant complaining, and endless flopping. Because of LeBron’s arrogance, need for approval and acceptance, and the Heat’s grotesque playing habits, it made it really hard for me to respect their success, especially when they were playing against a team who played just as hard but with more respect for their opponents and for the game. The Heat earned their championship, but that doesn’t mean they deserved it.

How Nemanja Nedovic Can Help The Warriors
Nemanja Nedovic (Photo: LithuanaBasketball.com)

Nemanja Nedovic (Photo: LithuanaBasketball.com)

This article was originally published on Let’s Go Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors selected Nemanja Nedovic with the 30th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Nedovic is a 22 year-old combo guard who is from Serbia and has played professionally for four years in Europe. He’s currently playing for the Lithuanian club Lietuvos rytas in the Lithuanian A League, and he’s averaging 11.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 18 games.

In a conference call yesterday with members of the Warriors media, he said he has a commitment to the Serbian national team, but he still plans on playing in the Las Vegas Summer League. It’s not clear yet if Nedovic will play for the Warriors in the 2013-2014 regular season though. If he does, he could prove to be a valuable asset off the bench for the Warriors for several reasons.

First of all, he’s very athletic, and the Warriors could surely use some more athleticism. His stat line might not sound that amazing, but he has been called the “European Derrick Rose” because of his speed and explosiveness. He uses his speed to beat his man to the basket, where he can either finish with a layup or explode to the rim for a dunk. Standing at 6’4″ and 195 pounds, he has good size for a point guard, and he can guard shooting guards too. He has a 41″ vertical, so he’s an incredible dunker for his size.

Second, he’s extremely effective in the open court. Again, he can use his speed to get steals on defense and break away from a defender to get an easy dunk in transition.

Third, he attacks the rim and is fearless. He finds ways to get into the paint, and he has a quick first step. He utilizes his ball handling skills to get past a defender, and he can finish strong above the rim.

Fourth, he has shown improvement in his ball distribution skills. When Nedovic drives to the basket, his ability to finish draws defenders in, which allows him to pass to open teammates. He’s improved his drive-and-kick skills, and this skill could be extremely valuable to the Warriors, given how they spread the floor with three-point shooters. Nedovic claims that he’s more of a point guard than a shooting guard, but he’s willing to play whatever position the team wants him to.

Lastly, Nedovic says he’s a hard worker, and he knows what he needs to improve on, which is an admirable quality for a young player. He also said he’s had 12 or 13 different coaches since 2007, so he knows how to adapt to a new coach, new system, and new teammates.

Check out a full scouting report below:

Nedovic can improve on his shooting, his defense, and his decision making. In terms of his shooting, he has a good release and mechanics, and he’s slowly gaining more confidence shooting off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations. He raised his field goal percentage this season from 27% to 34%, but he still needs to work on consistency.

On defense, Nedovic has the physical tools to guard both point guards and shooting guards, but he needs to improve on his focus. He needs to work on helping his teammates more, recovering if his man beats him, and defending through screens. He believes he can guard quick, athletic point guards, which would really help the Warriors, given Stephen Curry and Jarrett Jack’s weaknesses on defense.

He can also work on his overall decision making as a point guard and decreasing his turnovers. However, with Curry and maybe Jack playing in front of him, Nedovic could fluorish as a secondary ball handler who can help create shots for his teammates and attack the rim.

Nedovic will wear #8 for the Warriors. This seems fitting, because a lot of his skills seem similar to the last player to wear #8 for the Warriors: Monta Ellis. Nedovic has also said that his biggest NBA idol growing up was Kobe Bryant, who also wore #8 in the beginning of his career.

Nedovic is an intriguing, young player who could really provide a spark off the bench for the Warriors. It will be interesting to see how he does in Summer League, and, hopefully, he’ll be able to play for the Warriors next season.

San Francisco Giants: 3 Players They Should Pursue at the Trade Deadline

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

June 2, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Nick Noonan (left) catcher Buster Posey (center) and relief pitcher Sergio Romo (right) celebrate with teammates after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. San Francisco defeated St. Louis 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Out of 15 National League teams, the San Francisco Giants currently rank 13th with a 4.47 ERA for their starters. This is hard to believe given the fact that the Giants have won two World Series titles in the past three seasons behind dominant starting pitching.

Matt Cain struggled in the beginning of the season, Tim Lincecum has been inconsistent, and Barry Zito has a 10.41 ERA on the road. Because of their struggles, many analysts and fans have suggested that the Giants acquire a starting pitcher.

By adding another starting pitcher, the Giants could move Chad Gaudin back into his role as a reliever, which would strengthen the struggling bullpen. In addition, when Ryan Vogelsong comes back from injury, the Giants could also consider moving Lincecum to the bullpen. According to a club source, the Giants would convert Lincecum into a late-inning reliever “in a heartbeat,” and Lincecum said he is open to that change as well.

On the other hand, Bruce Bochy has said the Giants need the most help in the bullpen. If the Giants acquire a relief pitcher, they could continue to use Gaudin as a starter until Vogelsong comes back, and then when Vogelsong is healthy again, the Giants could move Gaudin back into his long reliever role.

The Giants also need a veteran outfielder, with Angel Pagan expected to be out until September, at the earliest. Gregor Blanco, Andres Torres, and Juan Perez are currently filling the void at center field and left field, but they’re collectively not providing enough offense to make up for Pagan’s energy and production in the leadoff spot.

Here are three players that the Giants could acquire at the trade deadline that would fill these needs:

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San Francisco Giants: Why Fatigue Has Led to Their Recent Struggles

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

The San Francisco Giants are tired. They aren’t just physically tired; they’re also mentally tired. After playing a total of 178 games last season, the Giants had a shortened offseason and less time to recover, both mentally and physically, before this season. The Giants currently have a 38-40 record, third in the NL West, and they have lost four games in a row.

May 16, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain (18) reacts after giving up a home run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

In their last two games, the Giants have been outscored 7-0 in the 6th inning. Is this onslaught just bad luck? A coincidence? Actually, this stat explains a lot about the Giants’ recent struggles.

The sixth inning, in particular, has brought trouble to the Giants recently for several reasons. First of all, their pitching has taken a downturn starting around the sixth inning. The Giants’ pitching, in general, has been up and down all season.

At the beginning of the season, the starting pitching was horrendous. Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong, usually steady forces in the rotation, were horrible and didn’t show consistent command of their pitches. Because of this, the bullpen had to step up and pitch more than usual.

Recently, the starting pitching has picked up. In the month of June, Tim Lincecum has looked better and has posted a 3.60 ERA. Cain has improved steadily since his horrendous month of April when he had a 6.49 ERA. In the month of May, Cain had a 3.48 ERA and in June, Cain has a 3.58 ERA. Even though the starting pitching has picked up, the Giants have not yet thrown a complete game, which explains why the bullpen has looked tired.

The bullpen’s effectiveness has started to decline because of overuse in the beginning of the season. Several pitchers, such as George Kontos, have struggled with command, perhaps because of exhaustion.

The second reason why the sixth inning has been problematic is that the starting pitchers aren’t consistently making the right adjustments. As the sixth inning approaches, pitchers are generally set to face the opposing lineup the third time around. Often, it seems like the Giants’ starting pitcher will either pitch to the opposing batter the same way they have been all game, which ends up backfiring, or, if adjustments are made, the opposing batter anticipates it and knows how to beat that move.

By this time, the opposing batters have made their own adjustments as to how to approach their next at-bat, given what the pitcher has done in their previous at-bats. Therefore, the batter knows exactly how the pitcher is going to pitch to him, which can lead to base hits and runs.

The third reason these runs in the sixth inning could be occurring is simple exhaustion from high pitch counts. The Giants’ starters rank first in the NL for most pitches per plate appearance with 3.9 pitches. Many Giants’ starters drive the pitch count up high in each at-bat, which forces them to become more tired, earlier in the game. When pitchers become tired over the course of a game, they start to lose command of their pitches, and this has started happening to the Giants starters around the dreadful sixth inning.

Jun 17, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito (75) hands the ball to manager Bruce Bochy (15) after being taken against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at AT

Because of these reasons, Bruce Bochy has two options when managing a tough situation like this. He can leave the starter in the game longer, but that can backfire because it’s hard for a pitcher to re-gain command once he’s already lost it. It does seem like Bochy trusts his starters too much sometimes. He can get into the habit of leaving a pitcher in one batter too many, and it can end up costing the Giants a run or two.

The other option Bochy has is to pull the starter at the first sign of exhaustion and go to the bullpen. However, since the bullpen has been used so much this season, he has been hesitant to do that, which forces him to leave his starter in longer. This whole process becomes a vicious cycle, and the Giants are stuck in one right now.

In addition to the struggles the Giants have had with their pitching, they have also seemed lost at the plate recently. The Giants have several players on their roster who are known as “free swingers.” These players don’t generally take too many pitches, and, they have been swinging at pitches early in the pitch count. In addition, many of these pitches are out of the strike zone or just generally unhittable.

The Giants aren’t showing enough patience at the plate, so they miss the opportunity of being rewarded with mistake pitches or pitches that are more hittable. It just seems as if the long 2012 season is starting to catch up with them in terms of mental mistakes, fatigue, and injuries.

The Giants are in quite a difficult situation. They’re stuck in a vicious cycle where Bochy can’t trust his relief pitchers, and the starters are slowly falling apart. The mental and physical exhaustion has started to spread into the offense as well.

The All-Star break couldn’t come soon enough for the Giants. They could use a break from the long road trips and the mental grind of the game. The Giants will recover though; it’s just a matter of time.

Should the Warriors Try to Acquire Carlos Delfino?
March 14, 2013 - Source: Scott Halleran/Getty Images North America

March 14, 2013 – Source: Scott Halleran/Getty Images North America

This article was originally published on Let’s Go Warriors.

When NBA Free Agency opens on July 1st, the Golden State Warriors should try to increase the depth of their roster. According to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, the Houston Rockets plan on declining Carlos Delfino’s $3 million team option for the 2013-2014 season, which means Delfino will be a free agent. It’s not clear yet which teams will have the most interest in him, but should the Warriors try to acquire him?

Delfino will most likely be a cheap option as a free agent, but, with that said, the Warriors don’t exactly have a ton of money to spend. Carl Landry has opted out of his player option with the Warriors for next season, so he’ll probably receive a multi-year deal from another team. If the Warriors make a hard push to re-sign Jarrett Jack, it doesn’t seem like they will have any money left to acquire a player like Delfino, even if he doesn’t cost much. Hypothetically, let’s assume the Warriors have the cap space to sign him. Would Delfino be a good fit for the Warriors?

Last season with the Rockets, Delfino averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and one steal on 40.5 percent shooting from the field, 37.5 percent shooting from three, and 85.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line in 25.2 minutes per game.

Delfino is listed at 6’6″ and 230 pounds. Given his size and frame, he is able to play shooting guard, small forward, and even power forward sometimes in small ball lineups. His versatility would be a significant asset off the bench for the Warriors.

Delfino is a good three-point shooter, so he would allow the Warriors to spread the floor even more and take advantage of their already stellar three-point shooting. He also plays pretty decent defense and can come up with a steal every once in a while, so, given his wide range of skills, he could be a nice addition to the Warriors’ bench.

Given how many young players the Warriors have, he also would provide a quality veteran presence off the bench as well. Delfino has played seven years in the NBA so far, and he has played for the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston Rockets. He also has played in 41 playoff games in his career, which would certainly be a valuable asset to a team who has limited playoff experience.

The Warriors already have several small forwards, such as Harrison Barnes, Brandon Rush, Draymond Green, and Richard Jefferson. However, if the Warriors are able to get rid of Jefferson’s expiring contract in a trade, Delfino could be a great addition to this team. Also, if the Warriors aren’t able to re-sign Jack, the Warriors will need to add more depth to their roster in order to make up for some key reserves. Given the structural and financial limitations that the Warriors have, it doesn’t seem likely that they’d acquire Delfino, but if given the option and the right situation, he might be a solid veteran, versatile player to add to this young roster.