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Prior to the NBA Draft this year, warriors.com is making some of the experts available to you for all your draft related questions. On June 17, Warriors television announcer Bob Fitzgerald sat down for a live online chat. The following is his transcript:
Gabby, Oakland: Will the Warriors retain Arenas?
: I live my life optimistically, so I'll say he will remain a Warrior. But it'll be a big financial decision that'll be Gilbert's.
henry, san jose: Will the Warriors package their 11 and 40 and something else to move up
: I don't think that in this draft that picking 11th is different than picking 4th. I think they're in a great spot and they're going to get a quality player right where they are.
Galvez (SJ): Who are some of the leading candidates that will be drafted by the Warriors in your eye?
: I think this is a great point guard draft and the Warriors will be looking at that postion. So I think Hinrich, Reece Gaines, and Luke Ridinour. Macij Lampe, would be among the big guys. But the Warriors are so young, that they're just going to take the best player available.
macon, eugene, ore.: It is pretty assured who will in the top three, but who do you think will go four?
: I think Toronto is going to take TJ Ford out of Texas with that pick.
Earl, san diego: Who do you think will continue to develop the most: Antawn, J-rich or Dunleavy?
: I think Mike Dunleavy will take an enormous leap forward next year, similar to the improvement Troy Murphy made from his first to second year.
Tom, San Francisco: How about moving troy to the 5? There aren’t too many brusin’ 5's anymore to allow Antawn to play 4 and Dunleavy the 3.
: I think against certain lineups that would be a great lineup. But there's so many big power forwards in the West, that sometimes you need the bulk that Murphy brings.
Junior, Sacramento: What are your thoughts on ND's Chris Thomas going back to school? (ed. note: Bob Fitzgerald is a 1988 graduate of Notre Dame)
: I think the system finally worked for a player where Chris Thomas worked out for teams and they told him where he'd go. I think this works out for him as a player and a person to return to Notre Dame. I think there should be a 21 year old age limit. And I think coming out next year as a junior will be better for everybody.
Penny, San Antonio: Does the signing period after the draft hurt the Warriors as they do not know if they can re-sign Arenas and thus how to approach the draft?
: I don't think so. We've had two years with Gilbert. He's playing in the pro-am tournament in the Bay Area. He knows how much the Warriors want him.
Joe, san pedro: Is it hard to criticize warriors on the air or do you leave that to the color guy?
: I think when someone's playing well, you say they're playing well. And when they're struggling, you have to say that as well. On TV, you can tell when someone's struggling. Honesty is the best policy. Bay area fans are very knowledgeable about hoops and they won't be fooled.
JJ, Oakland: What are the odds of getting some bay area boys in j.kidd and g.payton to push the rock for the Ws?
: Obviously I would take either one of those point guards. But financially it might be very difficult to land one of those guys.
Orlando, Las Vegas: Evaluate Musselman for me and how he did last season...what is he good at and if anything what does he need to work on?
: I think Eric changed the culture of the entire organization with his energy and work ethic. He'd already been a coach in the CBA and an assistant in the NBA. His resume for someone his age is almost unequalled. I think he'll get even better as he learns the strengths and weaknesses of his players. Once he knows his roster a little better, he'll be winning more games. And he's already pretty good.
Fredo, Queens: Will the Warriors make the playoffs this upcoming season?
: Point blank answer: Yes.
Christopher (SJ): What was your reaction on this years finals between the Nets and Spurs? It was rated the worst of all-time...how were you entertained (if at all)?
: I think I'll be the one guy to step forward and stop the Finals bashing. No one criticized the NFL when the Ravens defense won the Super Bowl. San Antonio played a half court game to slow down Kidd and the Nets. The Spurs played a style in which they knew the Nets couldn't compete. I think people forget how great Dallas, Sacramento and San Antonio played during the playoffs and focus too much on the Finals.
Bryant, San Diego: Have you seen Jiri lately? If so, how's his offseason training going?
: Jiri Welsch has had a monster off-season in terms of conditioning. He added strength, bulk and quickness. I think Troy Murphy has set the standard with offseason conditioning and I think this is big for the players and the team.
adonis, brazil: how will Barbosa play in the NBA - can he be like another Tony Parker and is it possible that the Warriors draft him or another point guard?
: Having not spent much time in Brazil, I've heard that Barbosa is big, quick and has an odd looking jump shot.
warrior faithful: Are the warriors looking into possible trades to get rid of some players to reduce their payroll. Like for example Danny Fortson.
: I think the Warriors would look to be active, but it wouldn't be a trade for financial reasons. I think they'll make moves to make the roster better and to make the playoffs. Not merely to clear cap space.
Yoshio (SJ):
With the Warriors playing in a small market in Oakland, do you think they will move across the bridge to San Francisco...where they can sign more free agents?
: The Bay Area is the fourth largest market in the country. I think we're in a big market. The Warriors are currently over the cap so it isn’t a matter of not having the money to spend.
Allan (EB): Will we see an improvement from J-Rich this year? He can dunk with the best of 'em but he lacks ball-handling skills and one-on-one moves
: I think Jason has to improve his ball-handling skills. He's taken more 3’s than free throws in his first two years. As athletic as he is, if he can start breaking players down off the dribble, he will be VERY difficult to guard.
