Nellie brought Chris Hunter in to play against Darius Songaila, a matchup that he simply dominated.  Could he have dominated Okafor in the same fashion? No. Which is why Nellie, unlike 99% of other NBA coaches, found another direction.

Why did Omeka Okefor get only 18 minutes in this game?  Because Don Nelson rendered him useless and ran him off the court.

Anthony Tolliver: Earlier this season I posed the question: Is Anthony Tolliver a more NBA-ready power forward than Anthony Randolph?  This performance throws a few more coals on that fire.  What I love about Tolliver is his intelligence.  His basketball IQ appears off the charts, which is reflected in his assists and steals.  But also in the simple fact of the speed at which he has learned to play two different positions for Don Nelson.  Unfortunately, Tolliver seems light-years ahead of both Randolph and Wright in this regard.

All of those who were begging Tolliver to stop throwing up threes earlier in the season raise your hand.  Still feel the same way?  His ability to spread the floor is going to keep him in the league.

But how about those authoritative drives?  Now that teams are no longer daring him to shoot, this was a very effective addition to his arsenal.

His rebounding totals are a little low, but last night he played much of the game on an island at center.

Chris Hunter: He is big and strong in a way the Warriors have not had in a long time.  He also has an incredible jump shot and stellar free throw shooting.  And unlike 90% of NBA big men, he has a good left hand, as he demonstrated last night.  He has great hands, which enables Nellie to use him in the pick and roll.  I am scratching my head: what was it that kept Hunter out of the league?

He also has a pretty good basketball IQ.  Nellie set him the task of finishing better a couple of weeks ago, as we knew from a sly post-game dig.  What happened?  Three straight games of intense focus on finishing.  Using the pump fake.  Getting it done.

If only Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph responded so quickly to coaching.

Reggie Williams: He’s beaten Anthony Morrow out.  There it is, the cold hard truth.  How do the Warriors keep him?  Do they?

Its obvious that Nellie loves this kid, by the way he came up after the game to congratulate him, and praised him more effusively than Tolliver and Hunter in his post-game interview.  And it is obvious why.  Williams is a multi-faceted offensive player, who besides being an out-of-this-world scorer (you don’t lead the nation in scoring two straight years by accident), also has an ability to see the floor well and create for others.  Unlike Anthony Morrow, who turned the ball over twice trying to initiate offense (he was only credited with one), when Williams assumes the triple-threat position, the triple-threat is real.

In other words, Williams is the point-forward — or at least the third player who can take the point — that Nellie craves in his offense.

Is OJ Mayo a better player than Reggie Williams?

Monta Ellis: Is it fair to say that Monta Ellis dominated his matchup with Darren Collison?  I think it is.  8 TO’s to 3.  That’s the difference.  Ellis did a great job keeping Collison out of the lane, and limiting his damage.

Monta Ellis will never be a point guard?  The naysayers have to deal with performances like this one.  Monta seemed to know where all his shooters were in this game.  He even ran the pick and roll well.  Two straight double digit assist nights.  He is continuing to grow as a player under the tutelage of Don Nelson.

I would love to see Ellis and Curry play together with a dominant big man who demands attention inside.  With the Warriors three-point shooters posted outside, I think they would be absolute murder.  Murder.  This team is oh so close to being seriously nasty.  One piece.

Unfortunately, Scott Ostler’s new article throws some cold water on the idea that Monta is now willing to play with Curry.  Judge for yourselves.

Here’s a seriously subversive question:  Does Reggie Williams make Monta Ellis expendable?  What if Monta brought David Lee?

Devean George: Anyone still wish we had Marco Belinelli?

In the pre-season, I wrote that Curry bore a startling resemblance to Steve Nash in style and talent.  Now the Nash comparison is on the lips of everyone around the league.  Don Nelson, Keith Smart, Jeff van Gundy, Mike Woodson. Mark Jackson said that Curry was the best player on the court last night.

Monta Ellis: Turned Kobe Bryant over how many times?  Could OJ Mayo, at 6-4″, have done to Kobe what Monta Ellis did, at 6-3″?  That trade proposal was a sick joke.  The rumor that Nellie would have done it is even sicker. Never, ever, ever.

I thought last nights’ 5-23 performance was one of Monta’s best of the year. Seriously.  Some nights your shot just doesn’t fall.  But if you are your team’s best player, you have to keep taking them. There was barely a single shot I thought Monta shouldn’t have taken.

And he balanced his own attempts beautifully with creating for others. 11 assists. How many times in his career has Kobe Bryant gotten that many assists?

Monta is assuming the mantle of leadership on this team.  He is working hard at getting it.  And he is getting it. 1 turnover, against the best defense in the league? Something is happening on the Warriors offense.  Monta and the rook have found their roles, and are settling into them. The game is getting easier.

A very special backcourt is taking wing.

Chris Hunter: How fast has this mid-season D-league call-up picked up the NBA game?  How fast has he learned Nellie’s schemes?  Two straight great games from Hunter, this one against the biggest baddest front line in basketball.  Hmmm.

Anthony Tolliver: Finally starting to get his 3 pointer in gear.  I hope he finds his way onto the Warriors bench next year along with Hunter.  These guys can really do some good things, and boy are they cheap.

Devean George: A true professional.  That’s what I think when I watch him play. Defensive minded.  Smart. Incredibly efficient.

He probably wasn’t supposed to get off the bench this year.  But virtually every time he has, he’s delivered.  On one leg.

The last play of the game: The first in a long time to be executed perfectly.  A coincidence that it was also the first one ever called for Stephen Curry?

More reasons that Don Nelson should be fired:

• He can’t develop big men: Chris Hunter and Anthony Tolliver being perfect examples.
• He doesn’t play rookies: Stephen Curry the latest to be thrown under the bus.
• He alienates his players: Demonstrated by the way Monta Ellis has quit on this season.  Not to mention Maggette, Biedrins, Turiaf.
• He got lucky in the draft: The same way he got lucky with Moncrief, Pressey, Richmond, Hardaway, Sprewell, Nowitzki, and Howard. The same way he got lucky when he traded for Steve Nash, and picked Avery Johnson and CJ Watson up off the trash heap. He’s the luckiest GM in league history.
• The Marco Belinelli trade.

That’s all I got.

At 6:05 of the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry received the ball under his own basket, looked up court and threw a 70 foot chest pass that hit a double-covered CJ Watson in the hands for a layup.  This sensational play capped a 16-0 Warriors run that tied the game at 95, and sent the Oracle into delirium. And thanks to the good folks at Golden State of Mind, the Thaiblonde and I were right in the midst of the madness.  We were eight rows back behind the backboard jumping up in joyous disbelief as Watson caught the ball over his shoulder and layed in the reverse.

Stephen Curry said after the game that if he had thrown that pass away he would have spent the rest of the game on the bench.  He was joking, of course. Curry is fortunate to play for a man that not only coaches that pass, but game-plans it and demands it.  It was one of several long passes that beat the ferocious Hawks defense down court in this game, and it occurred by design.

But oh, the execution…  and the moment!  It was the play of the game, and for me, the play of this Warriors season.  Not least because I was near court-side to see it.  A giant shout-out to my golden friends at GSoM for this great experience!

This was a great game for a lot of reasons.  Let’s start with the way it was coached:

Coach Don Nelson:  Defensive genius Mike Woodson is the odds-on favorite for coach of the year.  Well, the old, washed-up coach of the Warriors spanked little Mikey Woodson’s bottom in this game.  When faced by a vastly superior team — which the Atlanta Hawks are — a coach has two weapons at his disposal: 1) the creation and exploitation of mismatches; and 2) the element of surprise.  Nellie deployed both masterfully last night.

The Hawks had mismatches all over the court. Nellie had to work hard to find his.  It began at the point guard position, and specifically, Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford.  These players are the soft underbelly of the Hawks’ fearsome defense.  And Nellie went right at them from the opening tip. If you’re looking for a reason that Curry’s assist total was so low in this game, this is it.  Curry was instructed to attack, and to get his own shot.  So far this season, Curry has rarely looked to break his man down off the dribble and penetrate the lane.  That wasn’t the case last night:  Curry attacked his man relentlessly.  A perfect example came on the play at 5:13 of the fourth that put the Warriors ahead 97-95.  Curry split the trap at the top of the key, and drove the lane for a layup. How often have you seen that from Curry this year?  That play has largely been the responsibility of Monta Ellis this season.  But in this game, Monta Ellis was used almost exclusively off the ball.

Curry’s 32 points in this game came by design.  Don Nelson’s design.

Nellie had one more mismatch in mind for this game, but he held it in reserve, as a surprise.  At 8:47 of the fourth quarter, Nellie put Biedrins back in the game, to play alongside Chris Hunter at power forward. Biedrins guarded Josh Smith, whom the Warriors had no answer for up to this point in the game.  Nellie sprang this matchup on Mike Woodson as a trap, and Woodson fell into it with both feet.  Woodson stubbornly continued to have his team pound it inside to Smith down the stretch, and Biedrins turned Smith away again and again.  Smith went 0-5 in the fourth quarter.

I’ve seen Nellie successfully pull this trap before, against David West and the Hornets at the peak of their power a couple of years ago.  Biedrins shut West down and the Warriors got a great win in New Orleans.  For short bursts, Beans is a terrific defender of power forwards.  His defense on Smith was instrumental in the Warriors’ 16-0 run to take the lead.

But Biedrins wasn’t the only trap that Nellie pulled in the fourth.  Another was his defense on Joe Johnson down the stretch.  At 6-7″ 240, Johnson presented quite a mismatch for Monta Ellis.  Or so Mike Woodson thought. Nellie had been content to let Monta guard Johnson without help all game long, and Johnson had eaten Monta up on continued isolations in the low post.  But when Nellie brought Monta back to guard Johnson at 4:07 of the fourth, he changed his defensive strategy.  The Warriors started trapping Johnson on his isolations.  Woodson and the Hawks were completely unprepared for this.  Not only did the Hawks fail to find their open shooters (check out Hunter’s perfectly executed trap of Johnson at 0:25, with a wide-open Jamal Crawford waving his arms in the corner), but a distracted Johnson had the ball stolen from him twice by Monta Ellis down the stretch. Ballgame.

Focussed on the mismatches that had carried the Hawks to a big third quarter lead, Mike Woodson completely forgot about the one player he had whom the Warriors simply could not guard: Jamal Crawford.  Crawford is having a great season as the Hawks sixth man.  He has won several games for the Hawks by taking over in the fourth quarter, with Mike Bibby on the bench.

But Bibby wasn’t on the bench in this fourth quarter.  Woodson felt he needed him on the floor. Why?  Because in addition to going with two centers up front, Nellie was playing three point guards, with Watson joining Curry and Ellis. Woodson matched up with Mike Bibby, and used him to initiate the offense to the stymied Smith and Johnson.  Big mistake.  Fatal mistake.  Jamal Crawford, one of the great closers in the NBA, barely touched the ball in the fourth quarter, going 0-4.

Thank you, Don Nelson.

Stephen Curry: Curry has had an interesting five game stretch, hasn’t he? Three absolute masterpieces, interspersed with two total stinkers.  And an all-star game and three-point shooting contest thrown in.

Scoff all you like, haters, I am going to keep putting out there what I have been putting out there since the preseason:  Stephen Curry is a basketball genius.  I can count the players I have seen with a comparable basketball IQ on the fingers of one hand:  Magic, Bird, Stockton, Kidd, Nash.

We are unbelievably fortunate to be watching this phenomenal talent blossom in a Warriors uniform.  Thank you, Don Nelson.

Monta Ellis: I wonder, will this performance do anything to quell the media bleatings that Ellis and Curry can’t play together?  Ellis stated when he came back that he had been impressed by the Warriors ball-movement, and that he wanted to fit his game into that.  If this game is any evidence, he meant what he said.  He willingly deferred to Stephen Curry, and accepted his role off the ball.

And for those of you who wanted Monta traded for OJ Mayo and a giant stiff, ask yourself this question:  Does OJ Mayo come up with those two steals against Joe Johnson?

The Centers: It says a lot about the current state of Biedrins and Turiaf that Chris Hunter is the best finisher on the Warriors. 3:11 of the second. 1:30 of the second. 9:47 of the fourth. 9:09 of the fourth.  Chris Hunter can catch the ball and slam it through with authority, against one of the toughest front lines in the league.  The Warriors are desperate for this ability.  In Curry and Ellis, they have two of the best pick and roll guards in the league.  Their talents are going to waste without big men to finish for them.

Andris Biedrins has completely opted out of the pick and roll this year.  At least twice last night, I saw him set the pick and refuse to roll.  Why?  He doesn’t want the ball back.  If he gets it back, he knows he’s going to get fouled and have to go to the line.  This is truly a revolting development in a player who two years ago was one of the Warriors’  best finishers.  Sad to say, but if he doesn’t fix his free throw problems, he’s gone.  The Warriors need partners for Curry and Ellis in the pick and roll.  If Biedrins can’t do it anymore, Nellie will trade him.

Chris Hunter was great in this game, and not just in the pick and roll.  His fourth quarter defense alongside Biedrins was spectacular.  Nellie stated post-game that this was Hunter’s best performance as a pro, and that he was proud of him. Surprising comments from a coach who, as we have been told repeatedly by the media, doesn’t get along with young big men, and doesn’t know how to develop them.

Can Chris Hunter be this good on a regular basis?  Is he good enough to earn a place in the rotation?  Sadly, Andris Biedrins’ failures have me contemplating these questions.

CJ Watson: I am never again going to snidely predict that CJ Watson will get a layup blocked.  The lightbulb has suddenly gone on for CJ.  In the span of about five games, he has gone from a player for whom finishing layups was a considerable weakness, to a great finisher, with no in-between.  He is taking it strong, he’s taking it into the contact, he’s taking the hit, and he’s still finishing. The number of “And One’s” he’s picked up in the last few games is incredible.  I think he had three or four in the Kings game alone.  I don’t know what happened, but I love it.  I’ve felt for some time that CJ is one of the best backup point guards in the league, but with this development, he may be playing himself not merely into a big contract, but into a starting role on another team.  If that happens, I’ll be sad to see him go.

Devean George: DG can play D.  Still, on one leg.  He can play it against power forwards (11:39 of the second against Josh Smith).  He can play it against shooting guards (8:31 of the second against Joe Johnson).  He is giving the Warriors good, effective minutes.  Its strange that a coach who doesn’t care about defense would have traded for him, isn’t it?

Almost as strange as that a coach who doesn’t care about defense could have devised a trap that held the Atlanta Hawks to 5-22 shooting in the fourth quarter.

Random Observations from Court-Side:

• Raja Bell worked out in a shooting and conditioning drill before the game.  He looked pretty good running key to key and hitting 8 straight shots.
• CJ Watson beaned Jamal Crawford in the back with a ball during warmups, by way of initiating a warm reunion.
• Zaza Pachulia has a gigantic head.  You could fit two Andris Biedrins heads into one Zaza Pachulia head.
• It costs $11 for a Fat Tire.  What’s even sicker is that I paid it.  For me, Fat Tire is the Lagavulin of beers.  Who laid this nefarious trap for feltbot?
• As I was standing and cheering, I noticed that the Curry to Watson bomb got Don Nelson out of his seat, too. Like a fan. The old man who’s lost interest and is only in it for the money. The old man who’s a terrible fit for this young team. I would be willing to bet a lot of money that Nellie sticks around to coach Stephen Curry’s second season.  How about it, Matt Steinmetz?

What I need is a home game against a nice soft team like…  the Spurs?  The same Spurs that took a shellacking against the Suns last night, and are going to come into the Oracle mad as hornets and with their ears red from a Pop tongue-lashing?  Instead of a nice restorative Scotch, I’m being served a double oy latte. The Spurs are a +5 road favorite against the Warriors tonight.  Oy. Oy.

The Warriors have a couple of matchup options to start the game.  Since the Spurs start the non-scorer Keith Bogans at off-guard, that’s a good place to hide Anthony Morrow.  So will Monta guard Tony Parker or Richard Jefferson?  I’m leaning toward Jefferson, because that will help save Monta’s energy for offense, and RJ is just too strong for Curry.  When Bogans sits down, and Ginobili and Roger Mason come in, though, it may be time to give Morrow a rest in favor of CJ Watson.

The Spurs, I think, will cross-match Bogans on Monta, because he’s their best defender.  Monta has also struggled at times this season against bigger defenders.

The Spurs are big and deep, but old and slow.  I saw the Bulls, before Tyrus Thomas get injured, simply run them off the court earlier this year.  The Warriors’ strategy to beat them will be obvious: get out in the open court and run, run, run.  Particularly since the Spurs are playing back-to-back.

Unfortunately, the Warriors need to be able to grab a defensive rebound before they can fast break.  Will the increasingly enigmatic Anthony Randolph show up for this game?  The Warriors will need him.  And one other thing of interest to look for in this game:  Is it time for Don Nelson to unveil Devean George at back-up power forward?

Welcome back, Nellie!

There are a few other interesting storylines:  Rony Turiaf practiced yesterday, and may be available.  I’m kind of doubtful that he plays in this game, but wouldn’t it be great if he did?  And how about this: Devean George is alive!  He also practiced yesterday, and might be available.  George might be useful to feed to Ron Artest, after he gets done munching on Anthony Morrow.

And then there’s Vlad Rad on Pau Gasol.  This is Vlad’s chance to show Big Chief Triangle what the Lakers might have done to the Celtics if Don Nelson had replaced Phil Jackson in the finals, and the Lakers had run, run, run, rather than walked the ball up the court.  Can he drop a few big threes on Gasol’s head?  Can he hold him off the boards?  Can he beat him down court?  If I can peel my eyes away from Monta and Kobe, this is the matchup I’ll watch.

The Warriors are +9 home dogs to the mighty Lakers.  Obviously, the bookies still don’t believe in the Warriors’ resurgence that we’ve witnessed in the last three games.  Or perhaps they just believe more in the Lakers’ all-star roster.

I will be guest-recapping this game for my friends at Golden State of Mind.  If you’re not already familiar with this site, it’s one of my favorite places to read about all things Warriors.  Check it out.

Bobcats Update: The Bobcats beat the Cavs 94-87 last night.  They have now won three straight, and are 5-1 ATS since the Jackson trade, 4-1 ATS since I began the Bobcats Bet.  Gerald Wallace played Lebron even with an assist from Stephen Jackson in the fourth quarter.  This is what Jackson did to the Cavs’ starting 2-guard, Anthony Parker:  0 for 4.

And on offense, Jack is starting to find his groove.  Here’s Gerald Wallace:

[The Jackson trade] made a huge difference, Wallace said, for [the Bobcats'] playmaking ability. Wallace recalled a sequence where the Bobcats successfully ran the same play through Jackson five straight times.

“We’ve never been able to do that against Cleveland – make them adjust to our offense,” Wallace explained.

Tonight, the Bobcats play back-to-back against the Wizards in Washington.  They are +3.5 road dogs.  Again, this is a tighter spread than we’ve seen in the past, which is something to be concerned about.  But I’m still on the Bobtrain.

Breakfast Links:

The ever insightful Atma Brother One over at GSoM has dropped a tight recap of the state of the Warriors going into this Lakers game.

After Don Nelson made a strong point to him by benching him against the Knicks, Stephen Curry has vowed to start playing with more aggression.  Coach Smart lit into him at half-time of the Mavericks game with the same message.  Will he bring it tonight against the Flopping Fish?  Marcus Thompson elaborates.

The Warriors’ sixth man could be getting set for a big year.  After a year in Nellie’s system, and hopefully injury free, I expect Maggette to start this year as fast as he started last year slow.   He should be helped as well by the emergence of Anthony Randolph at the power forward, and the additions of  backups Mikki Moore and Devean George to the roster, which will allow him to spend more time at his natural position of small forward. (You may note that I don’t allude to the emergence of Brandan Wright.  More on that below.)  By the end of the season, Maggette should be a leading candidate for sixth man of the year.

Maggette is a unique player among NBA small forwards, a bruiser who relishes charging into the middle and initiating contact with the big boys, but with the skill and finesse to finish his shot after taking the hit.  He gets to the line 8 times a game as a sixth man, and his ability to convert his free throws at 80% helps make him one of the most efficient scorers in the league.  Don Nelson marveled on several occasions last year at Maggette’s ability to get 20 points on 10 or fewer shots.  The sixth man role is perfect for Maggette on this team, as he is capable of getting the Warriors into the penalty almost immediately at the end of quarters.  It also allows him to focus solely on scoring, rather than moving the basketball, at which he is notably deficient.  You may see him affectionately referred to as “The Blackhole” in these pages — which is the nickname Larry Bird gave Kevin McHale, because when the ball went in to McHale, it never came back out — but when you are a finisher of the ability of McHale or Corey Maggette, that is not necessarily an insult.

Defense is a problem area for Maggette.  I think he’s a little too slow of foot to guard other wings well.   He proved surprisingly good at guarding power forwards last year, however.  It will be interesting to see where Nellie uses him this year.

Rony Turiaf

Rony Turiaf is hands-down the best back-up center in the league.  The ferocious defense and shot-blocking he gave the Warriors last year in what amounted to a lost season was absolutely inspirational to all who watched him play.  And I think to his teammates as well.  His rebounding, which had been a weakness, also improved by years end.  I think he benefited in that regard from watching Biedrins’ knack of contesting shots without conceding rebounding position.  He and Biedrins make up a terrific center tandem, one of the best in the league.

Turiaf also blossomed last year as an offensive player under Don Nelson’s tutelage.  By the end of the season, Nellie frequently had him playing in the high post, where he showed an impressive passing ability, ala Brad Miller.  Nellie also gave him a green light to look for his elbow jumper, which he drained with nice regularity.

A terrific player and inspirational leader, who’s only getting better.

Anthony Morrow

There is a lot to admire about Anthony Morrow.  He seems to be a great kid, very coachable, great demeanor.  He has quite possibly the sweetest jumper in the league:  .467 from behind the arc isn’t seen very often.   I love the fact that he is a gym rat, that he works tirelessly on his shot, on his conditioning.  I love the fact that he is focused on improving his greatest weakness, defense.   Unfortunately, I don’t see him getting very far in that endeavor, no matter how hard he works. You see,  Anthony Morrow is afflicted by an incurable basketball disease: Slow Feet.  He has a terminal lack of athleticism.

This doesn’t mean that AM can’t have a nice career in the NBA.  I just think it means he won’t ever be a starter.  At his height 6-5″, most of his minutes will have to come at the 2, and he is just not quick enough to hang with the other great athletes at that position.  At the 3, his size will become an issue.  It’s hard to defend a player giving up both size and quickness.

I see AM as a quality shooter off the bench.  A role player.  A Dennis Scott type, for those who remember the Shaq-Penny Magic.  Scott Wedman, Jud Buechler.   Korver, Kapono.  You get the idea.   There’s little question he’ll be valuable in the regular season.  We haven’t seen him in the post-season yet, but I have a feeling he might struggle to get his shot off against tighter playoff defenses.  Dennis Scott had Shaq, and yet he still had trouble getting his shot off in the playoffs at 6’5″.  Even Peja Stoyakovich, at 6’10″, has been having trouble getting his shot off in the playoffs of late, now that he’s lost his driving ability.

Stephen Curry

I have a great weakness as a basketball fan.  I watch a boatload of NBA games, but literally no college games at all, until the final four.  Not sure why that is, and I realize it makes me somewhat of a freak, but there it is.

So I have literally no first-hand knowledge of Stephen Curry.  I will have to rely on the judgement of Bobby Knight, who feels that Curry “is as good a passer as has ever played college basketball.”  Huh?!!  And the judgement of Don Nelson, who feels Curry may be the best basketball player he’s had since Steve Nash.  What?!!  Those are some pretty impressive judgements, by some pretty impressive judges.

To say I’m looking forward to watching Stephen Curry play in a Warriors uniform, in Don Nelson’s system, is an understatement.  How fast can Nellie make young Mr. Curry into an NBA point guard?  Can Curry and Monta Ellis co-exist in the same backcourt?  Will Curry contend for Rookie of the Year?  If nothing else, this Warriors season will be fascinating just to learn the answers to these questions.

CJ Watson

CJ Watson is a very serviceable backup utility guard.  I consider him to be one of the very best backup point guards in the league.  Unfortunately for him, he is now backing up not one, but two terrific players at the position, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry.  His minutes may go down considerably as a result.

Watson is a legitimately great shooter, with an ability to drain the three at crunch time, and a deadly mid-range jumper as well that he is able to get off the dribble.  He has a rock-solid handle, and rarely turns the ball over.  He is very poor, however, at driving the basketball all the way to the rim, and at finishing layups.  Why, I have no idea.  He also has limited court vision, and difficulty finding the open man.  A friend of mine has apoplexy watching CJ trying to lead the fast break.  It often ends unpredictably.  But hey, that’s why he’s a backup and not a starter.  He does some things great, and some things, in the words of the immortal Borat, “not so much.”

CJ has gotten some criticism as well for his defense, but I actually think his defense is underrated.  He makes an effort to stay in front of his man, and he has great hands and anticipation, which gives him a decent steal rate.  I think public perception of his defense will improve a great deal this year, with Randolph joining Biedrins and Turiaf on the front line.

Devean George

I am very curious to see where Don Nelson uses Devean George.  At 6-8″ 235 lbs., George has the size to fill the classic Nellie backup power forward role that has previously been filled by the likes of Matt Barnes, Eduardo Najera, and even Chris Mullin.  And that’s where I expect him to play.  Backup power forward.  Hopefully, Nellie will be able to convince this career wing player to switch positions.

Why?  Because he doesn’t have the offensive talent to play the 3 for Nellie.  But at the 4, he will be able to use his speed and athleticism to run opposing power forwards off the court, a favorite Nellie tactic.  He’s also a decent if not great 3 point shooter, which will allow Nellie to spread the floor with him on the court.  Another favorite Nellie tactic: pull the opposing team’s power forwards away from the basket to open lanes for penetration.

On defense, George’s size should allow him to bang and hold his position on defense against opposing power forwards, for the limited minutes he will be on the floor.  A defensive specialist his entire career, he has what it takes to fill this role.  It will come down to heart: does George have the will to sacrifice his body in this way at this stage of his career?

Mikki Moore

I have never watched Mikki Moore much, as I’ve never been a fan of Clipper, Kings or Nets basketball.  What I do remember seeing in him is an enthusiasm for defense, and a decent elbow jumper.  Both of those things will go a long way on the frontline of this Warriors team.  As will his stated intention of serving as a defensive mentor to the Warriors’ young big men.

I’m not sure how many minutes Mikki will get, but I’m curious to see if the added insurance of having him on the bench will incline Nellie to give Turiaf some added minutes at the 4 behind Randolph.

Brandan Wright

Brandon Wright may be a very nice young man.  I have nothing against him personally.  But as a basketball player, I have very few nice things to say about him.

From the very first time I saw Wright step onto an NBA court, I noticed in him a distinct aversion to contact.  This is a player who simply hates to bang.  Not a great quality in a power forward.  Perhaps you can’t fault him, given the slightness of his build.  Except that Mr. Anthony Randolph, just as slight, is his exact opposite in this regard.  Wright allows himself to get pushed all over the floor by opposing power forwards, resembling to me nothing so much as a ragdoll, which is the nickname I have bestowed upon him.

Wright has also been very slow, in Don Nelson’s parlance, to “get it.”  He doesn’t seem to grasp the team’s defensive concepts, and is frequently caught out of position.  He appears to have no clue how to go about getting a defensive rebound.  He is a pretty good offensive rebounder, largely because other teams rarely guard him, and because the secret to offensive rebounding is slipping contact, as opposed to boxing out.

I am very doubtful as to Wright’s future as an NBA player.  He has the athleticism, but not the shooting ability nor skills to play small forward in the league.  If he’s to become a legitimate power forward, he needs to not only hit the weights, but learn the game, and somehow, someway, get a heart transplant.  I would love to be taken by surprise by him this year.  But after two cringe-worthy years, I’m not about to count on it.

Other posts in the Roster Analysis series:  Introduction, and The Starters.