Losing your star point guard to free agency and then losing the young stud who was supposed to replace him for the first three months of the season as a result of an ankle injury after an ATV accident isn't exactly a recipe for success in the NBA. As such, it's not surprising the Golden State Warriors
finished with one of the worst records in the Western Conference
this season.
Even despite Golden State's struggles, though, the team has plenty of young talent and will get a lottery pick in June's NBA Draft. Will it be enough for the Warriors to interject themselves into the Playoff conversation next season?
What Went Wrong: Monta Ellis' injury and subsequent suspension after signing a six-year and $66 million set the wrong tone for Golden State's season. It was absolutely the worst thing that could have happened to Golden State after Baron Davis returned home to Los Angeles after opting out of his deal with the Warriors.
Ellis was far from the only problem, though. Al Harrington and head coach Don Nelson butted heads early in the year, which led to Harrington demanding a trade. This certainly wasn't great for Golden State's chemistry early in the year, either.
As the year progressed, the Warriors had a hard time staying healthy. Yes, the Warriors probably weren't a playoff team even if completely healthy, but with key pieces such as Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Andris Biedrins, Marco Belinelli, and Corey Maggette all missing substantial time due to injury the Warriors really never had a chance to achieve any semblance of chemistry.
When considering the situations and circumstances surrounding the Warriors' season, it's pretty easy to see why Golden State won only 29 games.
What Went Right: Rookie Anthony Randolph spent most of his time on the pine early in the season, and at one point Nelson seemed to be campaigning to get rid of Randolph. However, after the All-Star break something really seemed to click for the kid from LSU. He put up some monster numbers down the stretch and has the look of a player who could be special for the Warriors in the future.
Ronny Turiaf was another reason for Golden State fans to smile. Some said the Warriors overpaid for his services this summer when the team signed the LA Lakers restricted free agent to an offer sheet. As it turned out, though, Turiaf was worth every dime. His energy, as expected, was off the charts. The defensive presence he evolved into as a shot blocker, though, was somewhat unexpected. To put things in perspective, Turiaf blocked 60 more shots this season in the same number of games he played last season in LA.
When a season produces as much disappointment as Golden State's did, it's always nice to unearth a diamond in the rough that could pay dividends in the future. The Warriors appear to have found exactly that in Anthony Morrow, an undrafted rookie from Georgia Tech. Morrow surprisingly emerged as one of the best long distance marksmen in the NBA shooting over 46 percent from beyond the arc.
Where Do The Warriors Go From Here: Golden State is a virtual lock to have a top 10 pick. However, in what is projected to be a weak draft by many, it remains to be seen whether or not the Warriors can get a true impact player. If the Warriors end up fortunate enough to have some ping-pong balls bounce their way, though, like we saw last season with the Chicago Bulls, Blake Griffin could be the type of presence that could instantly change the fortunes of the franchise.
Expect the Warriors to resume their efforts to try and trade Corey Maggette this summer. The team signed him as a reactionary move after losing Davis to the Los Angeles Clippers and his propensity to shoot the ball and do little else didn't always sit well with some of his teammates. The Warriors would love to get out from underneath his contract and a playoff-caliber team in need of an extra scorer could very well bite.
Finally, the Warriors have to decide what to do with Ellis moving forward. Ellis played pretty darned well when he returned from his injury/suspension, but his camp has quietly let it be known on a number of occasions that he wouldn't mind starting over somewhere else. Should the Warriors look to shop Ellis, there would likely be some interested suitors. And at the end of the day, Ellis is probably the only player on Golden State's roster the team could trade who would return any significant value.