2009-2010 Golden State Warriors Preview

2008 Record: 29-53, 3rd in Western Conf. Pacific Division
Head Coach: Don Nelson, 4th season
Key Additions: G Speedy Claxton, F Devean George, G Acie Law
Key Losses: G Marco Belinelli, G Jamal Crawford
1st Round Draft Picks: G Stephen Curry
2nd Round Draft Picks: None

2008-'09 Warriors Review:

After three weeks, coach Don Nelson's up-tempo brand of ball maintained some semblance of competitive credibility, as Golden State won five of its first 11 games. That appearance of legitimacy soon turned out to be a facade, however, as the Warriors showed little fight in the next month of play. From Nov. 21 through Dec. 19, Nellie's project spun off course, as Golden State dropped 14 of 16 games to fall to 7-20 overall. Regularly allowing 110 points (100 points represented a comparatively good defensive effort for the not-so-aptly named Warriors), the athletes of Oakland gave the NBA a perfect example of matador defense. Without any teeth in the paint or any imposing presence that could strike fear into the heart of an opponent, the Warriors--far removed from their upset of top-seeded Dallas in the 2007 playoffs--quickly descended into irrelevance and stayed there.

2009-'10 Warriors Preview:

Ugh. Trading away Marco Belinelli for Devean George caused Warrior fans to scratch their heads... at best. More likely, the jaw-dropping move created considerable pockets of outrage in Oakland and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area. Nelson, basketball's mad scientist, has engineered many success stories in his long and generally positive career, but after upsetting Dallas in the 2007 postseason, ol' Nellie hasn't done much right, and with that Belinelli-George mishap, it seems impossible to envision a way out for Golden State in 2010. The Warriors need a pulse on defense, the ability to play with authority near the rim, and the capacity to remain competitive while playing at a slower tempo. Without appreciable alterations to their high-scoring methods, the Warriors will find themselves on the short end of many more 120-112 losses. Oaklanders might not get bored at Warriors games, but they're not likely to witness many wins in the coming year, either.

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By Matthew Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

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