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: The Present Tense

Warriors Wrap Up

Wow, what a season. Though we sort of ended with a thud, my Warriors exceeded all expectations this year, and made a hell of a run. Jigar was right, that once we made the playoffs, I would get greedy about winning, but in the end, I can't say that I'm disappointed. I just keep thinking back to the Chicago game, before the Warriors went 16-5 to end the season, and all hope was lost. If someone would have told me then that the Warriors would be in the second round of the playoffs, I would have told him that he was crazy.

Baron Davis played like an MVP when he was healthy. I think at this point, it is unreasonable to expect him to stay healthy for an entire NBA season. I just hope that he gets some rest this summer, stays in shape, and when it comes time for the playoffs next year, he's ready to roll again.

J-Rich deserved making the playoffs more than anyone on the team (including Foyle), but rarely played like he's capable. Bill Simmons pointed out that J-Rich played not quite like a star, but not quite like a role player either, and I can't say I disagree with him. J-Rich, rightly, defers to Baron, but J-Rich needs the ball too. I really think that they didn't exploit his post game enough in the plaoyffs, and that in relegating him to being a three point shooter does him a disservice. J-Rich is still my boy, and I'm thrilled that when Chris Mullin was asked if he was open to trading J-Rich he said "No...I mean no."

S-Jax played great in the first series, but wore down in the second round. He's not a power forward, and he shouldn't be the second option on the team either. Jack had a propensity to play way too much 1 on 1 ball, and I think the team was hurt when this happened. Nellie really needed there to be more order. I think Jack thrives when he doesn't have to create his shot as much, like in the first round. Stephen played great though, and I'll take him over Scrubleavy any day.

Al had a shaky playoffs, but was able to pick up the scoring in the second round. Ultimately, he's not a great one on one defender, and his rebounding was mediocre at best. Al just really needs to work on rebounding in the off-season, and needs to play smarter. There's no reason to take 3-4 step-back three pointers in a game. Finish at the rim Baby Al, you've got the skills.

Andris, you made a huge leap this year, and I hope you do it again next year. Andris has the potential of being a very good starting center in the NBA, he's alread a good one. If he can develop any sort of offensive game away from the basket, he'll be a force to be reckoned with. Also, box out. Please box out.

Monta! had a great regular season, but faded under the pressure of the playoffs. Knowing Monta! though, that won't hurt his confidence. He's going to be hungry to prove himself, and I'm sure he'll come into next season ready to go.

Barnes and Pietrus had good playoff runs. I hope Barnes stays with the team, and keeps playing hard nosed basketball like he did, and not wasn't just playing like that for a contract. Pietrus, I'm not sure what to think about you. If he does stay, I hope we don't overpay for him, because he really hasn't shown much development since he's been in the league. More than anything Mickael needs to play smarter. If he can wrap his mind around the game, he'd be a very good role player, and I'd be happy to keep him. But at times, he just doesn't get it, and it's really disappointing.

Nellie, you worked a miracle in the first-round of the playoffs, but didn't make the necessary adjustments during Round 2, and that's too bad. My initial reaction when you were hired was disappointment, and today I'm a little disappointed in you. Ultimately though, I'm very happy with the job you've done, bringing the Warriors back to the playoffs and having them a force to be reckoned with. The Dallas series was amazing, and I wish you could exploit every team like that.

Finally, Chris Mullin, I heart you. No way around it. You came in, and completed your first goal of getting us back to the playoffs. Sure you got off to a bumpy start, but I always had faith in you, even after the Foyle signing. The great thing is that you're a winner, and you know that the second round is a great achievement, but we can go farther, and hopefully soon compete for a championship. Work some magic this off-season Mully, I know you can.

So with that, my Warriors blogging for the 2007 NBA season will come to an end. I'll be back before the draft to weigh in on with my thoughts. To keep up with all the off-season news, check out Golden State of Mind and the Warriors pages on the Chronicle, the Tribune, the Merc and the Contra-Costa Times. Go Warriors!

Oh yeah, I also graduated law school last week. That was pretty cool too.

Full post as published by The Present Tense on May 16, 2007 (boomark / email).