KEY TEAM STATISTICS

Statistics from 2007-2008 Season

Points per 48 minutes:
Maggette - 29.7
Ellis - 25.5
Jackson - 24.6
Harrington - 24.2
Wright - 19.3
Azubuike - 19.1
Belinelli - 18.8
Biedrins - 18.4
Williams - 17.6
Turiaf - 17.0
Watson - 15.5
Perovic - 12.6

Warriors should have no problems scoring with the addition of Maggette and the continued growth of Ellis. Azubuike and Belinelli should be able to contribute more as well and we could get surprise contributions from Randolph, Wright, and Morrow as well.

Field Goal Percentage:
Biedrins - 62.0
Wright - 55.4
Ellis - 53.1
Turiaf - 47.4
Maggette - 45.8
Harrington - 43.4
Watson - 42.6
Jackson - 40.5
Belinelli - 38.7
Williams - 37.9
Perovic - 30.0

Warriors are fortunate to have Biedrins who had the highest field goal percentage last season. Turiaf adds to the accuracy, expect to see more Wright, and a heavier dose of Ellis. Davis (42.6) brought down the team field goal percentage with his high volume chucking, so look for an overall improvement next season. Depending on how much time the rookies get, Randolph could bring the average down, but Morrow may be able to make up for the slump with his deadeye shooting.

Free Throw Percentage:
Morrow - 85.9
Jackson - 83.2
Maggette - 81.2
Randolph - 80.6 (Summer League Stats: 54 ftm - 67 fta)
Watson - 79.3
Williams - 78.7
Belinelli - 77.8
Harrington - 77.4
Ellis - 76.7
Wright - 67.5
Perovic - 66.7
Biedrins - 62.0

Maggette earns his money going to the line and converting his free throws at a high rate. He's one of the best in the business and with the help of free throw coach Sidney Moncrief, the Warriors should continue to improve. Hopefully, the Warriors will see some of Randolph who wasn't a strong free throw shooter until he focused on working on it after his freshman year. A duo of Maggette and Randolph could put a team in foul trouble in a hurry. The signing of Anthony Morrow is nearly automatic and will also bolster the Warriors free throw numbers if he is able to get playing time this year.

Three Point Shooting Percentage:
Belinelli - 39.0
Maggette - 38.4
Williams - 38.0
Harrington - 37.5
Azubuike - 36.4
Jackson - 36.3
Watson - 34.6
Ellis - 23.1
Biedrins - 0
Turiaf - 0
Wright - 0
Perovic - 0

Mullin added two very good 3-point shooters in Maggette and Marcus Williams. Belinelli should get more PT and the average isn't brought down by Baron (33.0), so expect an improvement in this department. If Morrow is able to contribute, look out.

Rebounds per 48 minutes:
Biedrins - 17.2
Perovic - 16.4
Wright - 12.6
Turiaf - 10.1
Harrington - 9.7
Azubuike - 9.0
Maggette - 7.6
Ellis - 6.3
Williams - 5.7
Jackson - 5.3
Watson - 4.2
Belinelli - 2.8

Warriors got bigger this offseason and should make a slightly better showing than last year and climb back into the realm of respectability. Turiaf, Hendrix, and Randolph with more Wright should do the trick. We lost a couple of rebounding guards in Barnes and Pietrus, but Maggette and Azubuike aren't bad at all. Even with the additions, the Warriors need to add another proven rebounder to compete with teams who routinely dominate the them on the glass.

Asssits per 48 minutes:
Williams - 7.9
Jackson - 5.0
Ellis - 4.9
Watson - 4.5
Turiaf - 4.2
Maggette - 3.6
Belinelli - 3.0
Harrington - 2.9
Azubuike - 2.1
Biedrins - 1.7
Perovic - 1.3
Wright - 1.1

Obviously, Baron's assists (9.4) will be missed and there's going to be a sure drop-off in this department. Unless Williams surprises everyone with an unbelievable season and Monta makes a successful transition to PG this could be a problem area for the Warriors. Williams was considered the top PG in the 2006 draft and has looked the part at times in New Jersey, so I am very optimistic that he rack up better numbers as a Warrior.

Steals per 48 minutes:
Watson - 1.97
Ellis - 1.94
Harrington - 1.63
Jackson - 1.55
Williams - 1.4
Maggette - 1.36
Biedrins - 1.29
Azubuike - 1.24
Belinelli - .99
Turiaf - .92
Wright - .77
Perovic - 0

The loss of Baron Davis (2.87) will really hurt the Warriors' ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end because they don't have that steals leader on the team anymore. Also out is Mickael Pietrus (2.41) who was the team's 2nd best steals guy. Players that might be attainable to shore up this weak area: R. Artest (2.94), S. Marion (2.59), C. Hayes (2.59), M. Daniels (2.46), B. Wells (2.30), C.J. Miles (2.23), Joakim Noah (2.13), J.R. Smith (2.09), Thabo Sefolosha (2.04), Ruben Patterson (3.11), Trevor Ariza (2.88), Kyle Lowry (2.11), Julian Wright (2.18), Renaldo Balkman (2.23), Robert Swift (2.42)

Blocks per 48 minutes:
Turiaf - 3.55
Wright - 2.81
Perovic - 2.53
Biedrins - 2.17
Azubuike - .94
Jackson - .49
Ellis - .42
Harrington - .35
Williams - .17
Maggette - .13
Watson - 0
Belinelli - 0

Warriors lost their most effective shot blocker in Patrick O'Bryant (4.15) for nothing but gain Turiaf's toughness and energy. Wright should help, as well as the rookies, Randolph and Hendrix. Warriors could use a proven shot blocker at the SF/PF position to improve their defense even more.

Turnovers per 48 minutes:
Perovic - 1.3
Azubuike - 1.6
Wright - 1.7
Biedrins - 2.0
Harrington - 2.0
Watson - 2.4
Belinelli - 2.4
Turiaf - 2.4
Ellis - 2.7
Jackson - 3.3
Maggette - 3.7
Williams - 4.2

This is another area the Warriors could struggle in. Although Baron (3.5) was the most turnover prone guy on the roster last season, he was the best ball handler and decision maker. The new additions of Maggette and Williams project to hurt the Warriors even more. Coupled with the fact that Monta will be the primary PG, things could get a little ugly.

Player Efficiency Rating:
Maggette - 19.4
Biedrins - 19.2
Ellis - 18.9
Wright - 17.3
Jackson - 17.2
Turiaf - 15.1
Harrington - 13.7
Azubuike - 13.4
Watson - 11.1
Williams - 11.1
Perovic - 10.36
Belinelli - 8.2

Baron (19.87) was the leading PER guy last season, but he is being replaced with another highly efficient player in Maggette. I expect an overall decline in productivity because Baron was able to make his teammates better and it still remains to be seen how the current decision makers handle play-making duties. All but one (Harrington) of the project starting five have very good PER's, but none are currently considered among the elite level of the NBA. Ellis and Biedrins show a lot of promise and if Wright can take over the starting PF position while maintaining his productivity, the Warriors will be in great shape.

True Shooting Percentage:
Biedrins - 63.7
Maggette - 59.5
Wright - 58.3
Ellis - 58.0
Harrington - 54.7
Turiaf - 53.9
Jackson - 53.6
Watson - 51.9
Williams - 49.9
Belinelli - 49.0
Perovic - 39.6

With Maggette in and Davis (52.3) out, the Warriors should be a better shooting team overall. Biedrins was dominant in this category and look for Wright and to a lesser extent, Morrow, to help here too. Randolph and Belinelli have shown that they need to work on taking better shots, but Randolph's ability to live at the free throw line could help a little.


Summary:

Strong areas for the Warriors should be in scoring and shooting accuracy (2's, 3's, and free throws). The additions of Maggette and Turiaf, along with the continued improvement of the youngsters should insure success on the offensive end.

Weak areas include all aspects of defense, especially steals. Assists and turnovers will be areas of concern with the departure of Davis and the Warriors could stand to improve on the glass as well. Mullin should strive to tweak the roster by trading for an upgrade at PF (Josh Smith, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest, Amir Johnson, Emeka Okafor, Lamar Odom, Andray Blatche) or by adding an outstanding backcourt player that can handle the ball, create for others, and get some steals (Kyle Lowry, Leandro Barbosa, Mario Chalmers, Jordan Farmar, Louis Williams, Sergio Rodriguez). Marcus Williams may be able to fill this role, but that remains to be seen. A solid SF that can rebound and defend could also be a target (Ryan Gomes, Dorell Wright, Jared Dudley).

THE NEWEST WARRIOR: ANTHONY MORROW

It was announced earlier today that the Warriors signed Anthony Morrow to the team. This is pickup gives the Warriors yet another 3-point threat and deadly midrange shooter off the bench. Morrow seems to play longer than he is listed. I am curious to find out his actual measurements. He's shown very good consistency coming out of Georgia Tech and should be a nice addition.


Birthday: 9/27/1985
NBA Position: Shooting Guard / Small Forward
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 205
College Team: Georgia Tech
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
High School: Charlotte Latin

Official Georgia Tech Profile

Georgia Tech Statistics

From Draft Express:

July 9, 2008

Anthony Morrow gets the nod for our “undrafted sleeper of the day” award, as he was able to drop 19 points in just 23 minutes of action, on a scintillating 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. Morrow was one of the best shooters in college basketball this season, hitting 45% of his shots beyond the arc playing in the ACC, so its not like this is exactly startling news. It is interesting to see how quickly he has been able to expand his range to the NBA line, and just how intelligently he moved off the ball finding open spaces for which to get his shot off. He kept things nice and simple all day long, sticking to what he does best, while also mixing in a little one dribble pull-up jumper from mid-range for good measure. He creates separation nicely and has a gorgeous text-book release. Some of the scouts around us mentioned that they think he’s too one-dimensional to play in the NBA (as he’s not a great ball-handler, athlete or defender), but to his credit, he was competing hard and not looking bad out there. Morrow surprisingly already signed a contract to play all the way out in the Ukraine, leading many disappointed high-level European teams here wondering what exactly his rush was to sign in a league like that.

From nbadraft.net:

NBA Comparison: N/A

Strengths: One of the better shooters in the nation with range out to college three ... Best utilized as a catch and shoot guy ... Shows a willingness to take big shots and makes them ... A tremendous free throw shooter, rarely misses from the line. A fluid athlete with long arms and a good feel for the game ... Has developed into a dangerous scorer who can score equally well from midrange as outside ... Rarely forces shots and finds success with a disciplined shot selection ... Unselfish, usually scores his points in the flow of the offense ... A mature, cerebral player who is seldom rattled ... Solid skill level. A decent passer and decision maker, nothing above the ordinary but rarely turns the ball over or makes crucual mental errors ... His quality outside shot gives him a real chance to make an NBA team ...

Weaknesses: A below average athlete by NBA standards. Doesn't jump especially well and lacks great explosiveness and a quick first step. Suffered through much of his junior season with a back injury, limiting his athleticism to an extent ... One on one skills are poor, lacking a great ability to beat his man off the dribble or create shots for himself ... Has worked hard at adding body strength but remains on the thin side. Can be overpowered by stronger and more athletic opponents. An average defender. Despite his superb length, he lacks great foot speed, and the overall quickness to be a great defender and create steals ... Will need to prove that he can step his range back to the NBA three point line ... His lack of strength/athleticism makes it difficult for him to finish at the rim as well as create FT shooting opportunities.This is an area of his game that could really use some improvement, however it's questionable hom much more strength and explosiveness he can add.

Aran Smith - 12/3/2007

Click here to see Morrow in Summer League action and find links to interviews.

MARCUS WILLIAMS MIX

This mix was recently posted on YouTube. I can't wait to see how he works in an uptempo offense like ours. Take a look.

Marcus Williams Mix
From: ballin1skballa



Click here for high quality video.

PROJECTED FINANCIAL SITUATION

With Monta Ellis signed to a 6 years / $66 million deal, the Warriors have one more major piece to lock up - Andris Biedrins. Earlier in the day, Mullin made two other commitments to players by matching Kelenna Azubuike's offer sheet and signing rookie Richard Hendrix.

Assuming Biedrins gets somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 years / $55 million deal, the projected financial situation would look approximately like this:

(click to enlarge graphic)

The Summer of 2010 could have been a big offseason to make the team significantly better had the Warriors refrained from overpaying Maggette. His deal is widely considered generous by many in the NBA, so moving his deal as the salary grows and grows will be difficult. The best hope for moving him in the future would be if a playoff team is desperate to add Maggette as a vital piece to aid in a run for the Finals.

If Biedrins is resigned, the Warriors have a promising young core of players to develop.

PG: Marcus Williams
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Anthony Randolph
PF: Brandan Wright
C: Andris Biedrins

Ideally, the Warriors want Monta to make a successful transition to PG so that they could bring in a lock-down defender / playmaker at the SG position. Hopefully, the Warriors get lucky in the 2009 draft and get a stud SG like Demar DeRozan, James Hardin, or Tyreke Evans. A stud PG like Ricky Rubio or a beast PF like Blake Griffin wouldn't be bad either.

PFORTYY YOUTUBE VIDEO

I'm a big fan of well done video editing pieces (especially ones featuring the Warriors) and PFortyy is one of my favorite producers of such videos. Here is their latest quick hit which should get you pumped up for the start of training camp which seems like many, many months away.

Golden State Warriors: A New Start - We Still Believe
(Warning: Explicit Lyrics)



Watch in High Quality

Click here for more great videos from PFortyy Productions

POLL RESULTS: KELENNA AZUBUIKE

Should the Warriors match the Clipper's offer sheet to Azubuike (est. 3 yrs / $9-$10 mil)?

Yes - 67 votes (71%)
No - 27 votes (28%)

FINAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE OFFSEASON?

The Golden State Warriors are on the verge of signing Maurice Evans, Kelenna Azubuike, or another player prior to finalize the contracts of their coveted future core players, Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins. If Biedrins signs for what Tim Kawakami thinks he will get (6 yrs / $55 mil) as stated in his 'Talking Points' blog entry, they'll have roughly $5 mil. in cap space even after the Marcus Williams signing.

They may use just use the cap space on a lackluster acquisition like Maurice Evans, or Mullin could come out of left field with a creative move that uses the cap space to facilitate a trade netting the Warriors an upgrade at PF. Mullin continues to surprise everyone with his stealthy transactions, so I wouldn't put it past him.

Some players I would consider trying to trade for utilizing the remaining $5 mil. in cap space in a package:

1. Josh Smith (RFA)
2. Lamar Odom
3. Travis Outlaw
4. Dorell Wright (RFA)
5. Ben Gordon
6. Charlie Villanueva
7. Ryan Gomes (RFA)
8. Walter Herrmann (RFA)
9. Wilson Chandler
10. Channing Frye

Currently, an offer is out there for Evans to accept, but he reportedly is holding out for more money. If Evans does not agree to the Warriors' terms, the Warriors have the option to match Azubuike's offer sheet from the Clippers by Friday. If Evans is demanding a salary close to Azubuike's 3 yr / $9.3 mil, I hope Mullin goes with the player with more youth and upside, Azubuike.

It sounds like Mullin is leaning towards keeping C.J. Watson as a 3rd PG. He's cheap, has good offensive talent, and can bring the ball up the court, so why not? Watson is an NBA player who could do a good job as a backup PG on any team. The fact that he'll be making only $770 k is a huge plus as well.

If they decide to match Azubuike and retain Watson, they have room to sign one more guy. I'm hoping that guy is Anthony Morrow from Georgia Tech. He's been lighting it up in Summer League and could work well as a specialist in an offense that requires accurate 3 point shooting to space the floor and keep the offense flowing at a fast pace.



Potential Roster for 2008-2009

PG: Ellis / Williams / Watson
SG: Jackson / Azubuike / Belinelli
SF: Maggette / Randolph / Morrow
PF: Harrington / Wright / Hendrix
C: Biedrins / Turiaf / Perovic

We got an army of wingers and bigs that can get up and down the floor (with the exception of Perovic) and bigs that can bang a bit.

This team will have the capacity to play the reckless defense that confounded so many teams during the 2007 playoff run. The depth at the wing positions will allow players to go all out and not worry about saving energy for a 4th quarter push to squeak out a win. Biedrins finally gets help from the complimentary bigs (Turiaf and Hendrix) that could bang, defend, and rebound with the bigger PF/C of the NBA.

MARCUS WILLIAMS IS A WARRIOR

Great pickup by Mullin. Now we have a true PG on the roster. Marcus Williams is big enough to allow Ellis to play the role he had when Baron was here. He has to get stronger, work on his shot, and conditioning, but he does have 3 point range and excellent court vision - things lacking in Monta's game. He's going to be a good complimentary piece with the potential to be a starter fairly soon if he puts in the work. Who knows, he may even end up being a star, particularly in a run and gun system that could take advantage of his natural PG instincts.


From NY Post Blog:

Marcus Is Gone

By FRED KERBER

Well, so much for fighting for his job.

Point guard Marcus Williams Marcus Williams , who recently vowed to fight for his minutes after the Nets New Jersey Nets acquired Keyon Dooling, is headed to Golden State for a future first round pick. The trade will be announced later today.

The pick is lottery protected for 2011 – so the Nets get it if the Warriors are in the playoffs. If it goes to 2012, the pick is protected 1-to-11. It’s protected 1-to-10 for 2013. If it is not conveyed by 2013, the Nets s\get second rounders in 2013 and 2015.

Posted by Fred Kerber on July 22, 2008 11:58 AM

From ESPN:

2006-07 season: Talk about false advertising. Williams came into the league billed as a pass-first point guard, but instead started firing away like he was World B. Free. The lefty had the sixth-highest usage rate among point guards -- for comparison's sake, Jason Kidd was 27th -- and was second only to Vince Carter on the Nets in that category. But the shots he was creating weren't for others -- he ranked a modest 35th in assist ratio.

Instead, Williams kept shooting, even though he wasn't particularly good at it. He made 39.5 percent from the floor, only 28.2 percent on 3-pointers, and had one of the league's lowest shooting percentages in the immediate basket area (46.5 percent). He was terrible at drawing fouls, too, ranking 61st out of 67 point guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt. All told he ranked 59th at his position in true shooting percentage, making one wonder why he called his number so often.

And while Williams didn't create many shots for teammates, he did for opponents -- only two point guards had a worse turnover ratio. All told, it was a bizarre turn for a rookie who was supposed to be following in Jason Kidd's unselfish footsteps.

Scouting report: A left-hander with a nice touch, Williams looks like he'll be a decent shooter when he gets the open jumper and should eventually add 3-point range. But on the drive, he forces up more slop than a sump pump. His lefty forays to the rim invariably led to him challenging bigger players near the basket, something that's not so effective for Williams since he's a marginal athlete.

As a point guard, Williams seems to have a good feel for the game and handles the ball well, but seemed to quit on plays if there wasn't anything in it for him. The same mentality led him to eschew the mundane pass for the spectacular, often with disastrous consequences. He also had a nasty habit of dribbling into traps.

Defensively, Williams was beaten easily off the dribble by opposing guards and needs to improve his lateral movement and fitness. His size is helpful, and one can imagine him becoming a decent defender if he puts in the effort.

2007-08 outlook: Williams again will be Jason Kidd's understudy; let's hope this year some of Kidd's unselfishness rubs off on him. Rookie point guards with high turnover ratios often show rapid improvement in their second and third seasons; the Nets will have to hope Williams learns from his rookie mistakes and makes more of an effort to be the distributor New Jersey thought it was getting in the draft last year.

Most similar at age: Jay Williams

From NBADraft.net:

NBA Comparison: Deron Williams

Strengths: Williams has improved tremendously since his freshman year when he veraged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 31 minutes/game ... He has a great "feel" for the game, something he didn't show freshman year ... A tremendous passer who led the entire nation in assists per game at 8.1 ... He controls the tempo of the game as well as any guard in the Big East ... He displays a good right hand, finishing fairly well on drives with it, though he is naturally left-handed ... His three-point shooting percentage rose over 20% last season to a respectable 40% ... He's a threat from the outside now which allows him to penetrate and dish or finish more often ... When big men challenge him in the paint, he uses a crafty floater/tear drop type of shot that he has really perfected ... He is practically unstoppable in the open court because his decision making is so quick and precise ... Whether it is pulling up for the jumper if his man plays off him or hitting a wing player filling the lane, Williams makes the appropriate decision ... He has a killer crossover that he uses to get by his man on the perimeter and is athletic, getting good lift on his jumper ... Defensively he does a good job staying in front of his man and limiting drives, he averages 1.1 stl/game ...Williams was productive as a freshman where he average 4.3/game assists in only 14 minutes/game.

Weaknesses: One of the main things Williams needs to work on is his turnovers ... Though he makes the right decision on the break, oftentimes he turns the ball over after drive in the lane while trying to feed teammates ... Actually needs to be more selfish at times, especially late in games when teammates are struggling ... Some of the bigger concerns with Williams is his off the court behavior. He only played in 16 games as a freshmen for failing to qualify academically and missed playing in UConn's championship run. Also, more recently, Williams and fellow UConn guard A.J. Price allegedly stole 10 laptop computers from UConn dorm rooms. There could be serious repercussions from such allegations ... Williams needs to keep his focus on basketball if he is going to continue to become the star player that he showed the potential to become last season.

Outlook: In terms of draft potential, NBA personnel always look for red flags and Williams already has two to his name. Unfortunately, that may hurt his stock in the long run and it won't have anything to do with his ability to play basketball ... Williams missed a lay-up that would have tied Notre Dame in a late season Big East battle and his confidence took a hit ... He played all right through the rest of the year, but didn't seem to have the same swagger. It will be interesting to see if he regains his confidence next season ... Williams improved so much from his freshmen year and had such success as a sophomore that it seems certain he will be the class of the Big East as a junior ... Look for his scoring to increase with Charlie Villaneuva out of the mix next season. Also, don't be surprised to see his assists sky rocket with veteran wing players Denham Brown and Rashad Anderson as well as super sophomore (to be) Rudy Gay and big man Josh Boone down low.... His game will actually remind people of former Huskie Khalid El-Amin. The major difference? Williams actually has the size and potential to get drafted in the first round and make an impact on the next level.

David Duane - 7/7/2005

Marcus Williams' nice show
From: jarkid




Marcus Williams Footage from the NBA Draft 2006
From: SeanWatkins

FREE AGENT AND TRADE TARGETS

Warriors are rumored to be going hard after Louis Williams. If they do, they will most likely have to let Azubuike walk to the Clippers. What if their attempts to land Williams fail? Who are next in line? The Warriors' team needs include a backup PG, a perimeter defender, a sharp shooting/skilled big man, and a combo-guard with good PG instincts. There are a few free agents left but the search can also be expanded to include players off of teams that may be looking to shed salary or balance out the roster because of depth issues.

Here are some candidates that may be good targets:

Point Guards:

1. Mo Williams
2. Kyle Lowry
3. Raymond Felton
4. Shaun Livington (UFA)
   

Shooting Guards:

1. J.R. Smith (RFA)
   
2. Ben Gordon (RFA)
3. Jamal Crawford
4. Leandro Barbosa
5. Delonte West (RFA)
   

Small Forwards:

1. Josh Childress (RFA)
2. Travis Outlaw
3. Ryan Gomes (RFA)
4. Dorell Wright (RFA)
5. Walter Herrmann (RFA)
6. Wilson Chandler

Power Forwards:

1. Josh Smith (RFA)
2. Amir Johnson
3. Emeka Okafor (RFA)
4. Lamar Odom
5. Charlie Villanueva
6. Channing Frye
7. Andrea Bargnani

Centers:

1. Andray Blatche
2. Nenad Krstic (RFA)
3. Mohammed Sene
   
4. Darko Milicic

PROJECTED FINANCIAL SITUATION

With Maggette and Turiaf joining the team and the likely resigning of Ellis and Biedrins, this is the projected financial status of the Golden State Warriors if they were to match Azubuike's offer sheet.

(click to enlarge graphic)

If the Warriors decline to match Azubuike, sign Biedrins to a starting salary of $7.6 mil, and hold off on resigning Ellis (est. cap holds of $1 mil), the Warriors will have roughly $6 mil. in cap space after renouncing all their remaining free agents and team exceptions. It is rumored that they will make a 'Big Run' at RFA Louis Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers. If they use up all their cap space in an offer sheet for Williams, the maximum they can give is approximately a 5 year / $35 mil deal.

If anyone sees any errors, please let me know.

If we end up signing Louis Williams plus a few minimum contract players off the Summer League squad, the roster could look something like this:

PG: Monta Ellis / Louis Williams / C.J. Watson
SG: Stephen Jackson / Marco Belinelli / Jamont Gordon
SF: Corey Maggette / Anthony Randolph / Anthony Morrow
PF: Al Harrington / Brandan Wright / Richard Hendrix
C: Andris Biedrins / Ronny Turiaf / Kosta Perovic

WARRIORS NEWS EXCERPTS

Rail-Thin Randolph Has Robust Game
Dave McMenamin / NBA.com

...Even with being so tall, Randolph plays a swingman’s game. Most 6-10 guys hang out in the post so they can make their trip to the rim as short as possible once they receive the ball; Randolph has no problem starting his move to the cup out at the three-point line.

When asked to describe his game to somebody who has never seen him play before, Randolph obliged, “I’m a versatile player who can play on the wing, can also at times play on the post and tries to take advantage of mismatches.”

...Randolph shot 16-for-18 from the charity stripe on Saturday and had one stretch in the second quarter when he got to the line on three straight possessions. The stellar showing at the line lifted his already solid free throw percentage to .844 for the week.

“I really put a lot of time in my free throws to make sure when I drive that I’ll be able to finish with making my free throws,” said Randolph who shot .693 from the line during his lone year of college ball.

Former Gorman guard in limbo with Warriors
Steve Carp / Review-Journal

... "We like them both," said Chris Mullin, Golden State's vice president of basketball operations. "We're figuring out what we want to do. We've got a lot of things going on."

... "It depends on what they want to do, but I have faith in what I did out here," Watson said of his future with the Warriors. "I believe something good will happen."

Amundson averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. His case for sticking around probably was hurt by Golden State's acquisition of former Lakers power forward Ronny Turiaf on Friday.

"It's the business aspect of it," Amundson said. "I thought I played pretty well, but it's up to them as to what happens."

Mullin sees Turiaf playing Warriors' style
Marcus Thompson II / Bay Area News Group

... his signing also means the Warriors still can play their up-tempo style. Chris Mullin, the Warriors' executive vice president of basketball operations, said the real benefit from signing Turiaf is that they addressed their inside needs without compromising their running game.

"We don't want to get big and slow down," Mullin said. "Turiaf can run with us. He can rebound and block shots, but he can run, too. We don't want to slow down. We probably want to play faster."

The future of the Warriors is on display in Vegas
J.A. Adande / ESPN

... Just because the Warriors addressed some deficiencies doesn't mean they have to get away from their strengths, one of which was their unpredictability. They uncorked another unexpected move in a summer league game Saturday, starting Belinelli at point guard when C.J. Watson was injured.

Belinelli did pretty well running the team and finished with eight assists, giving the Warriors an option if they want to explore ways to both get Belinelli on the court and alleviate the team-running duties for Ellis.

... Hopefully Nellie can get past the rookie aversion he showed with both Belinelli and Wright last year and give Randolph some run. At power forward or small forward he could be a matchup problem either way with his combination of height and quickness. He's a 6-10 guy who can make defenders fall backward with a crossover dribble.

... The challenge for the Warriors is, as Mullin put it, "Maybe accomplish similar things differently.

"Our style's not going to change a whole lot," he said. "We might try to go faster."

Warriors Hold Off Raptors in Vegas
NBA.com

... Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow combined for 48 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 95-90 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday at the NBA Summer League

... Randolph led the Warriors assault with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Morrow added 22 points.

In Vegas: Belinelli to Wear Many Hats
Preetom Bhattacharya / Hoopsworld

... But the now-sophomore Warriors have learned something: to get time in Don Nelson's system, you cannot be a one-trick pony. Nelson's system requires players to be versatile and skilled in many facets of the game, as each player has an equal opportunity to use the space Nellie tries to create with matchup advantages.

... That ability to wear many hats and do more than one thing in the offense is important for the Warriors, who want to see Belinelli become much more than a spot-up shooter. In Vegas, he's been making the smart passes and – perhaps more importantly – has made an effort to penetrate and take the ball to the rim, either making an easy shot or getting fouled.

... With Wright working on becoming "a blender for [the] team," as Coach Smart said, by being a high-energy player that does a little bit of everything and Belinelli working on doing more with the ball in his hands, both young players are taking the right steps towards becoming rotational players for the Warriors next year.