Wednesday, April 30 (10:30 a.m.) A Proposal For NBA Realignment As a broadcaster, I have the opportunity to express my opinion in a variety of ways - on TV, on the radio, in my blog, etc. That being said, the following column is purely one broadcaster's humble opinion on improving the conference setup and NBA Playoff system. This was written a year ago and updated accordingly. Christmas has come early in that David Stern has said the NBA is going to look at proposals to alter the league’s playoff system. Mr. Commissioner, please put the following in the pile of better realignment playoff formats than the league currently enjoys. Should the NBA adopt Bob Fitzgerald's proposed reallignment, division rivals like the Warriors and Lakers would square off five times a year. The beauty of the NBA is that it is unafraid of change. It is a league at the forefront of many of the best things in professional sports – diversity, globalization, charity, teamwork, marketing and technology. It is a league that evaluates scenarios, studies and usually changes for the better. It moved the three-point line in, saw that was a mistake and changed it back. The league allowed the zone defense and produced a better product. The league experimented with a new composite ball and then returned to leather. The introduction of an age minimum, I believe, was a step forward for more polished players (i.e. Brandon Roy) coming into the league. To fill the gap for players who may not be best suited for college, the Developmental League is a good option that only improves every year. Unfortunately, the one major gap in this tremendous sport of professional basketball is in defining its champion. When the sport is supposed to be at its zenith in terms of interest, intensity and quality of play, I feel that the NBA shoots an airball. Now, this is not only an NBA problem. Sports like college football have had questionable methods of determining champions for years. The problem arises primarily from failing to match up the quality teams in an effort to ultimately decide which team is best. The history of college football is littered with teams that feasted on lesser competition, built up a bloated won-loss record and laughably were “voted” a top team – a “mythical” national champion indeed. Fortunately, the NBA has a regular season that could easily determine the quality of a ballclub. Once the various team strengths are ascertained, a championship tournament could be easily implemented. And surprisingly, the methodology doesn’t have to be so shockingly different. There are two incredibly unfortunate aspects of the regular season in the NBA. One is that the visiting team loses 60 percent of all regular season games. This is the biggest disparity in any of the four major sports. The other is that the Western Conference has become so dominant that any type of playoff system that doesn’t acknowledge this truism is flawed. Now, one look at an NBA team’s schedule gives you a good idea why road teams rarely win. Tons of travel, back-to-back games, and four games in five nights in multiple time zones all take its toll on the traveling team’s play. Having broadcast NBA games for 15 years, I can tell you that I am physically beaten up on these trips, and I am only required to speak to perform my job. Players endure physical hardship and injury during a season (more than 300 players have missed a total of 4,400 games each of the past two seasons) and this is despite being some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. Having players perform at less than their best is not good for fans, the quality of play, games being broadcast and competition in general. All of this can be addressed by adjusting the “conference” setup in the NBA. This has happened in the league’s history several times and teams like Chicago and Milwaukee were once even in the Western Conference. Fortunately, the NBA's current regionally-based six-division setup would still work. However, rather than having the six divisions placed within two conferences, it would make more sense to have them broken into three conferences - West, Central and East. To view how the league's two conferences are currently set up, click here. To see how my proposed three-conference setup would look like, view the table below: Now, the hypothetical team schedule (let’s use the Warriors) is slightly different but much better for travel, television broadcasts, fans attending road games and development of regular season rivalries. Currently, the Warriors play each Eastern Conference team twice (home and away). They would continue to do exactly the same thing under this suggested format. Ten Eastern Conference teams would result in 20 regular season games for the Warriors. Currently, the Warriors play teams such as San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Memphis four times (sometimes three). That is the same number of times they play the Sacramento Kings, Lakers and Clippers, which should be their divisional and geographic rivals. This makes no sense from a travel perspective and the time zone change doesn’t work well for local television broadcasts either. Create a Central Conference and play each of the 10 Central teams twice, which would add 20 more regular season games. Now for the Western Conference opponents, which would require much less travel, far fewer time zone issues and much closer geographic proximity. Again, using the Warriors schedule, they would play the non-division teams in the conference (the Mountain Division) four times each (20 games) and play the four division opponents (the Pacific) five times each (20 games). This results in an 80-game schedule (once the amount of the league season), much less travel, better rest and health for players, better local TV broadcasting opportunities, the nurturing of geographic rivalries and familiarity with nearby opponents (think Red Sox/ Yankees). The change to three conferences and adjustment of the schedule is quite easy. Even in the event that economics dictated staying with an 82-game schedule, just rotate one non-conference (home and away) opponent randomly on a yearly basis. So now for the postseason championship tournament, or playoffs. Much of the current format still works very well. Seven-game series truly decide the best teams and 16 playoff qualifiers is exactly the right number. Seeding teams is absolutely necessary. Using regular season records for seeding and home court is appropriate. And charter air travel has made frequency of games much easier. I would also suggest the 2-3-2 format currently used for the Finals to be in place for all series. This minimizes travel. However, the Eastern/ Western Conference format, selecting eight teams from each conference just absolutely fails in identifying the best 16 teams in the NBA. Over the past eight years, the Western record vs. Eastern teams is as follows: Season West Record Vs. East 2007-08 258-192 2006-07 257-193 2005-06 252-198 2004-05 256-194 2003-04 266-154 2002-03 250-170 2001-02 232-188 2000-01 259-161 1999-2000 227-193 That totals for a 2,257-1,643 record for the Western Conference, a .579 winning percentage. Additionally, the Western Champion has won the NBA Championship 7 of the past 9 years, with many of the series not very competitive. For the first time in history, all eight Western Conference playoff qualifiers won 50 games, while the Eastern Conference could only field five out of 15 teams that even finished with a winning record. Ten Western teams finished with winning records against the East and only three Eastern teams had winning records against the West. Ten of the best 16 regular season records came from Western Conference teams. This is all despite the fact that Eastern teams play 52 games against lesser competition and only 30 games against the West. While I don’t advocate relying on computer rankings, the Sagarin rankings (using won-loss record and strength of schedule) essentially show that 10 of the top 16 teams in the NBA are from the Western Conference. The point is not to eliminate Eastern teams from the playoffs, but rather identify the best 16 teams in the league and seed them accordingly in a 16-team bracket to best determine the true NBA champion. The current format is the equivalent of Western teams being required to run a marathon while teams from the East are running a 100-yard dash to win a title. Understand, there will never and should never be a balanced schedule. There will be year-to-year vagaries in the three-conference setup and certainly divisional strength issues. But a 16-team playoff bracket is a vast improvement over the current system and would be the most equitable way to select and seed postseason qualifiers. Remember, the goal is to have the best teams playing for the NBA title and an equitable seeding process. Start with all six division winners making the playoffs. And then the next 10 best regular season records, regardless of location. Seed the teams 1-16 based on regular season records, make out an NBA Championship bracket, play seven-game series and use the 2-3-2 format to mitigate travel concerns. Using this year’s regular season records, 10 teams out of the current West would have qualified and 6 from the East (almost eight and eight) but it’s the seedings and road to a title that would have looked dramatically different. Remember, the six division winners get the top 6 seeds and then the next 10 best records regardless of location. Also, with the 2-3-2 format, there would actually be LESS travel during the playoffs. Feel free to fill out your bracket and prognosticate on a potential champion, but for the first time the NBA would actually be allowing the best 16 teams to compete for the title, properly bracketed based on their regular season accomplishments. Final thought - If I hear one more time that “well they don’t play a balanced schedule”, I am going to lose it. Think about it - if Eastern teams play 52 games in a much easier conference and STILL can’t have one of the best 16 records in the league, WHY do they deserve a postseason slot just based on geography? Answer - They don’t.

Thursday, April 3 (5:22 p.m.) Do You Believe? Baron Davis and the Warriors will look to make the type of late-season push that put them in the playoffs last year. So how much do you really believe?? The final seven games of the NBA season may have to mirror a year ago for the Warriors to qualify for the postseason in 2007-2008. The good news is, the Warriors are familiar with this scenario. A year ago the team did its part, finishing 9-1, but also received help from an unlikely source, as Sacramento beat the LA Clippers at home late in the year. The Clippers had all the tiebreak advantages with the Warriors but couldn’t beat Sacramento when it counted. That surprising outcome and the Warriors stellar play allowed for the special “We Believe” playoff season. This year, Denver and Dallas have all the tiebreak advantages and the Warriors are going to need to finish in a flurry and get some help from some unlikely sources. Sure, no 46-win team has ever missed the playoffs since they have gone to the 16-team format, but you already know this is an historic season in the Western Conference in terms of nine-team excellence. To think that a 50-win team could miss the playoffs is really hard to fathom. So that you can follow along, here are the remaining schedules for the Warriors, Mavericks and Nuggets by date: Friday 4/4- Warriors at Memphis, Dallas at L.A. Lakers Saturday 4/5- Denver vs. Sacramento Sunday 4/6- Warriors at New Orleans, Dallas at Phoenix, Denver at Seattle Tuesday 4/8- Warriors vs. Sacramento, Dallas vs. Seattle, Denver at L.A. Clippers Thursday 4/10- Warriors vs. Denver, Dallas vs. Utah Saturday 4/12- Warriors vs. L.A. Clippers, Dallas at Portland, Denver at Utah Sunday 4/13- Dallas at Seattle, Denver vs. Houston Monday 4/14- Warriors at Phoenix Wednesday 4/16- Warriors vs. Seattle, Dallas vs. New Orleans, Denver vs. Memphis For those fans who are into numbers, here is the math, using a statistic called the 'magic number.' The ‘magic number’ is the combination of Warriors wins and Dallas/Denver losses necessary for the Warriors to reach the playoffs. The Warriors ‘magic number’ for Dallas is 10, while their ‘magic number’ for Denver is nine. So can the Warriors really still get in? Yes they can. But a few things are probably going to have to happen: 1. The Warriors are probably going to have to finish at least 6-1. Maybe 5-2, but things are a little more complicated in that scenario. 2. The Warriors are probably going to have win out at home. That means beating the Kings, Clippers, Sonics, and most importantly, the Nuggets. 3. The Warriors are probably going to have to beat either New Orleans or Phoenix on the road. Should the Warriors finish 6-1 and Dallas finishes no better than 3-4, the Warriors are IN. Should the Warriors finish 6-1 and Denver finishes no better than 4-3, the Warriors are IN. Stranger things have happened in the NBA, particularly in this extraordinary season. Do You Believe? It has to all start on Friday night in Memphis, where the Warriors hope to get on a roll for a final ‘lucky seven’ to make it back-to-back playoff seasons.

Monday, March 24 (10:08 a.m.) Warriors-Lakers Match-Up Always Exciting Captain Jack came up huge down the stretch in L.A. on Sunday night. (Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty) Some of my most vivid early memories in sports were the Ali/ Frazier fights. Whether it be at Madison Square Garden or the “Thrilla in Manila” in the Philippines, two great combatants gave their all. And shockingly, the sequel was as riveting as the original. I loved Godfather Part II as well, but now I am getting off topic. For the Warriors and Lakers, every game always means much more than a regular season game. There are fans of both squads throughout California, they play four times a year, the Lakers have the more expansive basketball resume and have often treated the Warriors as a “little brother” type of franchise. When you first get the Warriors schedule, you look at the four Laker meetings. And this year, seeing back-to-back Laker games really made me look forward to this Sunday/ Monday match-up. The Warriors win on Sunday night was a “grow up” game. Stephen Jackson set the tone with 16 first quarter points and the Warriors led 34-30. That might not seem like much, but the Warriors are 28-7 when they lead after the first quarter. They are a rhythm team. When they start well, it usually continues throughout the game. Monta Ellis scored 15 of his 21 first half points in the second quarter, taking the baton from Stephen Jackson. At this stage of the season, Jack and Baron Davis cannot carry the team for a whole game. They have physically given their all, shouldering heavy minute loads, and need help from the rest of the roster. Monta has had a tremendous last few months and continues to grow game-by-game. He is an offensive force and when the Warriors' frenetic defense is at its best (see outscoring L.A. 38-19 in the second quarter), Monta is usually the player running it down an opponent’s throat. To see the Lakers come from 26 down and push the Warriors to their limit poses a very dangerous question: “Would this be the worst loss of the year”? (it would have been the biggest comeback in the NBA this season). Or would this be a tremendous win, true to the resilient nature that has defined this team? Baron vs. Kobe will be just one of many intriguing story lines in tonight's rematch. (Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty) To be fair, the Warriors let the lead slip away AND the Lakers were very good. L.A. is an excellent offensive team and an underrated defensive squad. Their role players have executed tremendously this season and Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant have finally learned to feed off and trust each other. Add in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and the Lakers are going to be title contenders for many years to come. Yet the Warrior role players were enormous in this win. Kelenna Azubuike helped force Kobe Bryant into a 13-for-30 shooting night. He matched Kobe’s strength, challenged his shots and also pulled down eight monster rebounds. Brandan Wright played on his biggest stage and excelled with six points, five rebounds and three blocks in 11 minutes. With the groin injury to Mickael Pietrus and the struggles of Matt Barnes, Don Nelson is desperate to find bench contributors. To see Stephen Jackson rise to the occasion AGAIN and to watch the Warriors stabilize and hold on for their 20th road victory was special. Now on to Round Two tonight at ORACLE Arena with a number of interesting questions and topics: 1. Which team has more energy on the back-to-back? 2. Kobe really doesn’t like to lose. He is poised for a big game. 3. Baron Davis was good, not great in LA. The Warriors need him to be dominant. 4. Ronny Turiaf has improved greatly. How do the Warriors adjust? 5. Al Harrington is rebounding, but can he get his perimeter touch back? Plus, it's Phil Jackson vs. Don Nelson, with 20,000-plus fans ready to make ORACLE Arena shudder and shake. Not bad for a Monday night in March as the push for the postseason continues…….

Sunday, March 9 (2:30 p.m.) Another Successful Road Trip The flight home from Orlando was a long, but happy one for the Warriors. What a great way to come home from the road for the Warriors. Normally, the flight home from Florida is approximately seven hours (with a fuel stop) and it’s something no one with the team really relishes. But winning back-to-back games in Miami and in Orlando made it one awfully sweet trip. I’ve often talked about the “pretty” Warriors, capable of cranking out over 130 points as they did against Miami and Atlanta, but equally impressive are the “gritty” Warriors. The Orlando game was their fourth in five nights, and although the Warriors shot only 40% from the field, and made only six of 24 three-pointers, they were still capable of winning against a good Orlando squad. The Warriors have a winning record on every road trip longer than three games this season, going 4-1, 3-2, 3-1 and 3-1 on the major swings away from home. These Warriors are capable of solid defensive efforts where the whole team contributes. Andris Biedrins battled in the second half against the massive force that is Dwight Howard. Mickael Pietrus has come on lately, with an excellent defensive rebounding mentality. And when Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis get help from the rest of the roster, the Warriors are very good. During this past week on the road, something very interesting happened in the Western Conference playoff race. Dallas and Phoenix have struggled to the point that the Warriors and Nuggets may actually be in a race where four teams are competing for three spots (6,7,8). The Warriors can win in a variety of ways, and they proved that on Saturday in Orlando. Where it gets even more compelling is the fact that the Warriors still have to play Denver, Dallas and Phoenix twice each before the season is over. They will control their own playoff destiny depending on these head-to-head match-ups. Just looking through the rest of the schedule for each of the top nine teams, it looks to me like the Western seeds will be: 1. Lakers 2. Spurs 3. Hornets 4. Jazz 5. Rockets From there on, the final 20 games for the Warriors will determine whether they can qualify for the postseason, and who they would face in the first round. One thing is for certain, though. With the way they have played away from home, the Warriors will not be intimidated by their remaining road schedule. And because they won’t go on another Eastern Conference road trip for the rest of the season, they don’t have to worry about any more long plane flights home. To check out Andris Biedrins' thoughts on the trip, as well as the story of his appendectomy, check out his latest blog entry.

Monday, March 3 (4:50 p.m.) Time To Focus Good teams take advantage of favorable situations. As much as we discussed the arduous first few months of the season, the Warriors continued to look forward to February and an incredibly long home stretch. In fact, they were so excited that they got things rolling with an incredible win at New Orleans on January 30th, snapping the Hornets’ nine-game winning streak. Beating Charlotte, Sacramento, Washington, Phoenix, Boston, Seattle, Philadelphia and Portland more than made up for stumbles against Chicago and Atlanta. The Hawks loss was largely due to the absence of Andris Biedrins and Stephen Jackson. The Warriors are 2-7 without Captain Jack, who is not only their best defender, but a great clutch shooter and good ball handler who helps out Baron Davis. Baron Davis has been a model of durability over the last calendar year, playing in 90-straight games. Speaking of Baron, he played in 21-straight games to end last season, all 11 playoff games and is the only Warrior to play in all 58 games this season. That’s 90 straight. It’s time to give him credit for a little durability. Injuries happen (see Biedrins, Andris). Baron has worked to stay healthy and he is a better player because of it, and the Warriors are certainly much better off when he is clicking. NBA players call it the “bounce” when they have a lively body and can absolutely play at their best. Baron has gutted out heavy minutes even with the normal bumps and bruises sustained on the court. However, seven months of basketball beginning with training camp wears out even the very best. And that is why Don Nelson has tried to get his bench going in advance of this 4-games-in-5 nights road swing. Right now, the Warriors have everyone feeling like they can be part of things on any given night. From Mickael Pietrus to Matt Barnes to Austin Croshere to Kelenna Azubuike to C.J. Watson, all the Warriors reserves know that a certain match-up, foul issues or just starter fatigue could mean major minutes. This time of year, teams need all hands on deck. Fortunately, two of the youngest Warriors have more than enough energy. Brandan Wright has just been amazing lately. He has worked and developed all season during practice, and thus, has looked incredibly comfortable when called upon with the injury to Biedrins. Wright’s 7’5” wingspan is really something to behold on both ends of the floor. He has a nice mindset to defend the rim, even if that means giving a foul to prevent a dunk. And finishing on the break? No one flies like the “Kiddy Hawk” (note: The Wright Brothers invented the first airplane in North Carolina and Brandan is only 20 years old, hence the nickname). 'The Mississippi Bullet,' 'The One-Man Fast Break,' 'Kid Quickness' - which nickname do you prefer for Monta Ellis? And speaking of nicknames, I can’t believe the enthusiasm of Warrior nation and beyond to a simple suggestion that Monta Ellis needs a nickname. Nearly a thousand have been submitted on my radio show and not a day goes by that someone doesn’t call in with a new moniker. And this has been going on for two months. I’ve even snuck a few in during our telecasts, with pretty decent response. Which one do you like? Mississippi Missile, Mississippi Bullet, The Bullet Train, Mississlippery, Monta Get Out The Way, Montezuma’s Revenge, Monta’s Inferno, Montazing, Montaneous Combustion, M8E (pronounced M eighty, a quarter stick of dynamite, small but explosive), The Quickness, Kid Quickness, Quick, The Flying Circus, Lanier Lightning (he’s from Lanier High School), The One-Man Fast Break, Cash The Finisher, Blew By You, Money Monta, Mid-Range Monta, The Future Regardless of the name, Monta has been playing at a level rarely seen. He became one of only nine guards in NBA history to shoot over 60% from the field in a month, joining players such as John Stockton and Sidney Moncrief. In February, he shot 60.2% from the field (106-176 FG). What was most impressive is that Monta took the most shots of any of the nine guards to achieve this feat. He basically averaged a 10-for-17 night, every game for a month. That is mind-boggling for a guard. The nicest thing of all is that Monta knows he still needs to keep working on his defense and continue to be a quality rebounder. This kid is just flat out special. Having him drop to 40th in the draft is going to eventually be regarded as one of the all-time steals in NBA history. Speaking of history, since the league went to 16 playoff teams, no team with 46 wins has ever missed the playoffs. However, let me help you, that IS going to happen this year in the Western Conference. (Note: I love the groundswell on media types calling for putting the best 16 teams in the playoffs. I did all the groundwork on a much better three-conference league alignment a while back. Feel free to read and spread the word/link). The Warriors and Nuggets are both intending to make the playoffs, but there may only one spot up for grabs. I have been saying for a few weeks that it is going to come down to the Warriors or Denver for one playoff spot. But Dallas and Phoenix are not completely invincible after their major trades. Acquiring Shaq and Jason Kidd looks good on paper, but I’m not sure either move improved those teams. But I digress. Let’s get back to the Warriors vs. the Nuggets. The two teams have split the first two meetings and the two remaining games (at Denver on March 29 and home vs. Denver on April 10) are going to be MONSTER games. They “count double” in the playoff race and could decide the season series and all tie-breakers. The Warriors have put themselves in good position, but this road trip figures to be incredibly important. Better to grab these road wins and stack up the win total now because the stretch from March 21 to April 2 is going to be challenging. Have a look: vs. HOUSTON, @ Lakers, vs. LAKERS, vs. PORTLAND, @ Denver, vs. DALLAS, @ San Antonio, @ Dallas. There are also three back-to-back sets in that eight-game stretch. Anything near .500 would be miraculous. It makes this current trip (at Atlanta, at Charlotte, at Miami, at Orlando) look like an opportunity trip. And I think I said that good teams take advantage of favorable situations at the top of this entry. We’ll see how the road trip unfolds.

Friday, January 18 (8:54 a.m.) Halfway Through, But What Lies Ahead? Baron Davis and Don Nelson have each played a large part in the Warriors' best start in more than a decade. There is no question that losing is not fun. And losing a game that appeared to be won is even more frustrating. But to evaluate a team and a season you need to take in a much broader perspective. For example, the Warriors couldn’t hold on to a 14-point lead after three quarters in losing to Indiana, but that was the first time that has happened on the road all year long. The Warriors are now 8-1 when leading after three quarters on the road. Who wouldn’t take that record? Indiana stole one and played tremendous basketball in the fourth quarter, making big three after big three. But the Warriors were able to pull out a victory in Oakland three nights earlier after being outplayed by the Pacers for much of the night. Don Nelson summed it up best, “I don’t know how we won this game.” That’s a pretty direct and honest assessment from the head coach. So a split in the season series is probably what the Warriors deserved. The Warriors are nearing the half-way mark, allowing several trends to be noted: Baron Davis is playing incredible basketball. He hasn’t missed a game. He is consistently scoring, passing, rebounding and creating havoc on the defensive end. He couldn’t be any better. Stephen Jackson is almost a baseball-type closer. He will take and make big shots regardless of what type of night he has been having to that point. He is an excellent individual and team defender, and his presence was missed terribly, as the Warriors started the season 0-6 without him. Monta Ellis continues to develop and has now added a defensive mindset to his incredible offensive and open-floor skills. One must remember that he is only 22 years old and could potentially be a junior in college right now. It’s scary how good he may become. Al Harrington is the team’s wild card. Rarely do you see a player heat up so quickly. And his three-point shooting is such a rare skill in a player that stands 6’ 9”. Al has also had great success playing as an undersized center and has given Yao Ming and other big men absolute fits. So where does this leave the Warriors? After an 0-6 start, to be sitting at 23-17 is beyond excellent. Toss in that the Warriors are now 12-10 on the road, when they were 12-29 all of last year, and it becomes even more remarkable. Since their 0-4 start at home (without Stephen Jackson), the Warriors have gone 11-3 at ORACLE Arena. The Warriors will look for Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson to continue to play well during the second half of the season. But there is still much work to be done. There are 10 solid teams in the Western Conference. They represent 10 of the best 13 teams in the NBA, and yet only eight will make the playoffs. There is a chance that 47 or 48 wins will be required to be a playoff team this year in the West. The Warriors can’t wait for a late-season push. After coming home from Milwaukee, the Warriors will have 40 games left - 23 at home and 17 on the road. Furthermore, 13 of the next 16 will be at home, and most importantly, those 16 games will be spread out over 43 days. For a reference point, after Saturday’s upcoming game, the Warriors will have just completed a stretch of playing 27 games in 49 days. To sum up, a majority of home games and an excellent opportunity for rest will help this team focus on game plans, get some solid practice time and heal nagging injuries. This will be the time for the Warriors to make their move. But the road trip isn’t nearly over. The Warriors will face Chicago tonight, a team that has struggled almost inexplicably. They are a talented team that has underachieved, but they cannot be overlooked. They also play very well at the United Center. Milwaukee is a dangerous team with a ton of shooters. The Bucks are capable of taking advantage of a Warrior team that will be on the back end of another back-to-back and finishing four games in five nights. The Warriors need to have the disappointment and frustration of the loss in Indiana to fuel them in Chicago and Milwaukee. And then the team will come home for the most favorable stretch of its schedule. That upcoming stretch could be pivotal for the Warriors as they set their sights on heading to the postseason for the second-straight year.

Wednesday, December 12 (10:48 a.m.) Assessing The First Quarter Of The Season Head Coach Don Nelson has his team looking quite impressive at the quarter mark of the season. Don Nelson says you don’t know anything about a team until they have played 20 games or so and reached the quarter pole of the NBA season. So what do we know about these Warriors? After an 0-6 start, we know they are resilient. To win 12 of 15 games is nothing short of miraculous. We are getting a basic idea of how they can win games - Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson provide the defense and clutch scoring. Game-in and game-out, these are the two pillars of this squad. But any number of players can contribute on any given night. Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike and Al Harrington are all more than capable of having big nights. The Warriors are the only team in the NBA that has had five different 30-point scorers in a given game. Baron Davis can be a great on-ball defender. To watch him guard Dwyane Wade one night and then bother Kobe Bryant on another is really fun to watch. Stephen Jackson defies any statistical explanation. He has long runs of missed shots, to be followed by absolute scorching bursts of points. His defense, energy and vitality are a huge part of this squad. And his individual defense is worthy of NBA All-Defense status. Plus, his passing is vastly underrated. Monta Ellis has mirrored the team in that he started slowly this year, but has really played well since that rough beginning. His growth as a passer and defender has not gone unnoticed. His rebounding has been incredible as of late, as he’s tied and set new career-highs, grabbing double-digit rebounds on more than one occasion. Plus, his foul shooting has come along nicely. Andris Biedrins is one of the best pick-and-roll finishers in the league. He has great hands, an innate sense of how and when to move without the ball and the ability to adjust to any number of passers looking for him. Whether he is starting or coming off the bench, Biedrins’ energy and attitude typifies the young players on the Warriors. Kelenna Azubuike has taken his game to another level this year. Kelenna Azubuike has also improved his rebounding dramatically. Known primarily as a scorer, he has shown up at key times all season. And Don Nelson has spotted him perfectly during big minutes against certain opponents. Chris Mullin should be credited for picking up D.J. Mbenga, who gives the Warriors a very physical center who is a nice shot blocker and relentless rebounder. Mbenga provides a toughness and instant presence against larger opponents. The most impressive thing about these Warriors might be their ability to gut out victories when their shooting is just not flowing. For every pretty win they have against Phoenix, Houston or Milwaukee when the high octane offense is rolling along, they have an equal number of gritty wins against Sacramento, Miami and San Antonio. This is a great quality that this team has worked hard to improve upon. Here’s one final point for knowledgeable fans - keep an eye on turnovers and points off turnovers for these Warriors. They are among the league leaders in fewest overall turnovers, but they also force the second-highest number of turnovers by the opposition. Taking care of the ball means the Warriors are going to get up a ton of shots. This makes shooting percentage a bit less critical because they are going to overwhelm you with their volume of shots. By causing so many turnovers, they limit their opponents’ number of shots and run the mistakes right down their throat. Points off turnovers is a key stat that exemplifies why the Warriors are really dangerous. Steals, blocks and deflections fuel the Warriors lethal running game. A huge stretch of schedule awaits the Warriors as they head into the New Year, but they have more than righted the ship after a rough start. Something tells me that this team is going to be in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race all year long.

Monday, December 3 (10:09 a.m.) Reflections On The 9-1 Stretch The Warriors' current stretch of impressive victories has been fueled by Stephen Jackson. While sitting through a flight delay in Seattle after the Warriors’ Sunday night win over the Sonics, the impressions of the Warriors 9-1 record and six-game winning streak are like flashcards in my memory bank. “Ugly” wins Toronto, Philadelphia, Sacramento. This Warrior squad can be so wonderful to watch when the running game is clicking, the threes are raining down and the whole team seems to have the hot hand. But the difference this year is that this Warrior team can dig down deep and play lock-down defense. The fourth quarter performance in Sacramento was simply amazing. To hold the Kings to 2-23 from the field in their own building was nothing short of miraculous. Hot, Hot, Hot 45 points in the first quarter vs. the Suns was a glimpse of how potent this Warrior offense can really be. There are so many players that can put up points. Five different Warriors have scored 30-or-more this season (Azubuike, Davis, Ellis, Harrington, Jackson), and no other team can say that. Busy signal To play eight games in 12 days in seven different cities even has the broadcasters tired. But to see the Warriors go 7-1 in that stretch defies description. Right now this team is 6-3 on the road after winning only 12 road games all of last season. By the way, the Seattle game starts a seven- games-in-11-days stretch, and December is the busiest month of the year with 17 games. More amazing is that the Warriors will have played 19 road games by January 2nd. Essentially, half the road schedule comes in the first two months with the other 22 road games being stretched out over four months from January through April. That is why surviving and even thriving in this stretch is so critical. One Hearbeat Lots of sports teams talk about chemistry and caring about one another, but the players on the Warriors really are like a family. The passing of Matt Barnes’ mother Ann has affected everyone on the team. Matt’s composure and mental toughness have been simply amazing. He has the genuine respect of everyone associated with the Warriors and should absolutely be a captain of this team.

Wednesday, November 14 (9:03 a.m.) Answering A Few Early Season Questions With the long Warrior layoff and lots of time to watch and think about the NBA, here are some random thoughts from viewing a lot of early season games, plus a few answers to the most asked questions from the radio show. This Friday's game against the Clippers will be a big one for the Warriors. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty) 1. Warriors and the playoffs? I still feel very good in my assessment of the Western Conference. All the Texas teams will be in the playoffs, plus Phoenix, Utah and Denver all look very good. Utah could even be a title contender. They have everything. Denver might be a little up and down and the Nene injury doesn’t help. Unfortunately for Warriors fans, the Hornets are every bit the playoff threat I thought they would be. They play good defense and possess good rebounding and enough scoring with David West and Peja Stojakovic. And I haven’t even mentioned the fact that they have a great point guard in Chris Paul. I think they will be a major factor all season. So that leaves the winner of the battle for California with a coveted playoff spot. I think the Warriors, Lakers and Clippers will be fighting for one slot. I still don’t think the Kings have enough. The head-to-head games with the California teams will be absolutely huge. The Warriors see the Clippers on Friday and have the Lakers twice in one week in early December. 2. How much do the Warriors miss Jason Richardson? Fans need to have a better memory. No one loves JR more than me. He is absolutely one of my favorite players that I have encountered with the Warriors. But a year ago he had a surgically repaired knee and a broken hand. He shot 41% from the field in the regular season and struggled from the foul line. Kelenna Azubuike has done a terrific job in the early part of the season and has been every bit as good as I expected. Plus, Jason’s salary has been spread amongst Kelenna, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Troy Hudson, Austin Croshere and Brandan Wright. People need to keep that in mind. 3. What’s my early take on Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis? Andris is drawing more attention from opponents this season. They realize he is very good on the pick and roll, and they are more aware of his offense. He will be okay as the season progresses. He has huge responsibilities on the rebounding end and the Warriors have to help him as a team so he isn’t worn down as the year progresses. Monta is encountering a typical problem for young players - he can create for himself but sometimes misses opportunities for his teammates. But I think he must come to grips with two key issues. First, as a three-point shooter he is much more successful from the corners, where the line is shorter. Second, he has to really buckle down defensively. The amazing quickness he shows on offense has to be utilized on defense. He will usually be matched up against bigger and stronger opponents, but he will always have the quickness advantage. He has all the ability to be a good defender. 4. Thumbs up to Al Harrington for his offseason work. He has rebounded better, he’s been consistent in quarters one through four and he has been an amazing scorer. His 38-point effort at Utah on the back end of a back-to-back while holding Carlos Boozer to 12 points might have been the best individual Warrior performance in the first five games. The return of Stephen Jackson will be a welcome sight for the Warriors and their fans. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty) 5. What does Stephen Jackson really mean to the Warriors? He and Baron are the team’s best defenders. He is a vocal leader. He is lethal on the pick and roll. The team feeds on his energy. He is the team’s best free throw shooter. He and Baron are the team’s smartest players. He and Baron are the team’s best passers. He is a very good stand-still three-point shooter. Is that enough? 6. When should Warrior fans start to worry? The team has two more games without Stephen Jackson and then the Warriors play 17 of 26 on the road. The date to circle on the Warriors calendar is January 2. After the Warriors play Dallas that night, they will have played 33 games. I think they need to be at least 14-19 at that point. That would mark the weathering of the storm – one that has seen a brutal set of circumstances for the team in the first two months of the season. If they have more than 14 wins at that time, life should be very good. If they have less than 14, there will be a lot of work to do in the remaining months.

Monday, October 8 (12:03 p.m.) Breaking Down The Western Conference If Baron Davis plays 70 games this year, the Warriors will make the playoffs. (photo: Jordan Murph) I’m on my way to Hawaii for training camp and our preseason telecast of the Warriors/ Lakers, flying at 37,000 feet. It is about 2,300 miles to Honolulu, our airspeed is 488 mph and I’m on a 777. All those numbers have me starting to think about the number 8, as in the fortunate few playoff teams that will reach the Western Conference Playoffs this season. There have been some changes from a year ago in the West. For the first time in recent memory, a talent shift has moved to the Eastern Conference. Five 20-point-per-game scorers are now in the other conference (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Zach Randolph and Jason Richardson). The landscape of the West has been altered and the playoff requirements are a bit different. Here are the "Solid Six" that I think will end up being playoff teams from the West. I’ll put them in no particular order, but it would be a complete shock if these teams weren’t in the postseason. 1. San Antonio Spurs: The oldest team in the league, but with Duncan, Parker and Ginobli, they can play any style. They have great coaching and will keep filling in gaps with experienced veterans. I still don’t understand them trading Luis Scola, who I think will be even better than Fabricio Oberto. 2. Phoenix Suns: They probably would have beaten San Antonio a year ago without the Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw suspensions. Steve Nash has to slow down at some point, doesn’t he? Their front office has traded away Kurt Thomas and first-round picks in the past few seasons to avoid the luxury tax and eventually that should catch up with the Suns, but not this year. Grant Hill should be an excellent addition and Shawn Marion will still play well despite his off-season issues with their front office. 3. Dallas Mavericks: They may have had issues with the Warriors in the playoffs, but this is basically the same team that won 67 games in the regular season a year ago. Dirk Nowitzki is a special player, Devin Harris is getting better each year and DeSagana Diop anchors a pretty good defense. Erick Dampier had shoulder surgery and will be out for a while. During the off-season the Rockets complimented their roster with several pieces to fit around Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. (photo: Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty) 4. Houston Rockets: Outside of Boston, the Rockets made the biggest improvements in the off-season. Adding Luis Scola, Mike James, Steve Francis and Rick Adelman will definitely help this team. In a more up-tempo style, Tracy McGrady should flourish, Yao will be Yao and role players like Luther Head, Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes always contribute. Plus, Adelman knows how to get something out of Bonzi Wells. 5. Utah Jazz: This team made the Western Conference Finals after knocking the Warriors out of the playoffs last season. They are an excellent team and Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are getting better every year. Plus, Mehmet Okur is in the best shape of his life, Andre Kirilenko will eventually handle Jerry Sloan’s tough love and Paul Millsap is a beast. I still can’t figure out why they can’t get a legit two-guard, but it’s the only piece they are missing. 6. Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony gets better and better each year and this year, he’ll have a full season with Allen Iverson. Nene and Marcus Camby are big contributors and Kenyon Martin apparently is healthy. They simply have too much talent to slide out of the playoff picture. So, with the above six virtual locks, how about the "Forgettable Five" that by my estimations can still pose problems on a given night, but probably will be in Secaucus, NJ for the lottery. Portland Trail Blazers: There is a very nice rebuilding job taking place with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack and friends. But the Greg Oden injury will delay this team’s arrival by a year. Sacramento Kings: There is lots of talent, but no signature style. Mike Bibby, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller can’t really play up-tempo. Ron Artest gives them a great defender and Kevin Martin excels in the open floor, but I think Geoff Petrie will be tinkering with his roster at some point. Three coaches in three years doesn’t help either. Los Angeles Clippers: Losing Elton Brand cannot be overcome. Sam Cassell is in his last year, Shaun Livingston is still recuperating and while this squad still has Corey Maggette, Brand is the necessary ingredient on offense and defense. Minnesota Timberwolves: The Kevin Garnett trade helped them financially and Al Jefferson, Randy Foye and Rashad McCants will be fun to watch on some nights, but rebuilding in the West leaves you out of the postseason hunt in the short term. Seattle SuperSonics: This is a very young, very intriguing team. Kevin Durant will win Rookie of the Year and Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson are a nice tandem at the point. They have bodies up front with Kurt Thomas, Nick Collison and Robert Swift back. But losing Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis is a lot of firepower to give up. They probably will be better defensively, but I’m not sure if that is enough. Six teams can make postseason plans, five others will be dangerous but unable to stack up enough wins to qualify, so that leaves four teams in a game of musical chairs for only two coveted playoff slots. A lot of the Warriors success this season will ride on how much newcomers like Marco Belinelli can contribute. (photo: Monique Saenz) Will these teams be fortunate or forgettable? Los Angeles Lakers: First thing in their favor is that they have Kobe Bryant. They didn’t make any significant off-season moves other than bringing back Derek Fisher and the return of a healthy Chris Mihm, but they have Kobe. The Lakers won only 42 games last year, but they have Kobe. You get my point. New Orleans Hornets: I won’t pretend to know how returning to New Orleans will affect this team. But I do know that Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stoakovic form a pretty nice nucleus. Plus the off-season addition of Morris Peterson was nice. This is a scary team that nobody is talking about. Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Ivaroni was a key part of Phoenix’s coaching staff and a nice hire as head coach for Memphis. Pau Gasol is healthy, Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry give them two good point guards. Mike Miller keeps getting better and Rudy Gay is very talented. This team will surprise people. Golden State Warriors: This team has six new players, four rookies and eight players who are 24 or younger. But they have a distinctive style under Don Nelson, great team chemistry and play with a swagger that makes them better as a team than they are individually. Baron Davis is the absolute key. If he plays 70 games, the Warriors will be in the playoffs. A few other questions that need to be answered: How quickly do the youngsters contribute? Can this team improve on its rebounding and foul shooting? Can they survive a brutal first two months of the season and still be in the playoff chase in early January? Perhaps we will start to get some of those answers tomorrow night when the Warriors and Lakers open up their preseason in Honolulu. The game will be broadcast live on FSN Bay Area at 10 p.m. Pacific and will be preceded by a 30-minute pregame show.

Thursday, September 27 (12:07 p.m.) Sitting Down With David Stern (photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty) I just got back from New York, where I had the chance to interview NBA Commissioner David Stern. To listen to the interview in its entirety, click on the links below: INTERVIEW WITH DAVID STERN PART 1 | PART 2

Thursday, September 27 (11:53 a.m.) Breaking Down The Warriors Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson will again be key components to the Warriors success this year. (photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty) When we last saw the Warriors, they were finishing on a 16-5 regular season run, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. “We Believe” swept the Bay Area, and really the nation, as THE playoff story in the NBA. The improbable upset of a #1 seed for the first time in league history in a seven-game series was the type of memory that will live with Warrior fans for many years to come. So what about an encore? Is the team better after this off-season? Let’s not worry about prognostications right now, but rather compare the likely roster for this season to the squad from last year and I’ll let you decide for yourself. Here’s a breakdown of the returning nine Warriors: Baron Davis vs. Baron Davis- You could make an argument that no player had a better postseason than the Warriors leader. Tremendous offense, setting up his teammates, hard-nosed defense, clutch shot after clutch shot. I don’t know that Baron can play better. The question will be, can he play more games? If Baron Davis can play in 70 games this season, the Warriors should have a very good year. Stephen Jackson vs. Stephen Jackson- Don Nelson called ‘Jack’ his most versatile player, particularly on the defensive end. His passing ability was a revelation. He also showed a great knack for getting to the line and an ability to hit huge shots. Fiery and emotional, his passion is contagious. Having him for a full season should be fun to watch. Andris Biedrins vs. Andris Biedrins- Still only 21, Biedrins is on his way to becoming one of the better big men in the league. Perfectly suited for the Warriors tempo, Andris’ ability to defend the basket, start the fast break, battle for rebounds and finish on the pick and roll are all amazing given his age. He should be a double/ double performer and continue to improve rapidly. At such a young age, he is rapidly becoming the cornerstone big man for the franchise. Al Harrington vs. Al Harrington- Fun-loving, great personality and a key part of the Warriors chemistry. Immensely skilled and a very good perimeter shooter. The Warriors need Al to help Biedrins on the boards on a consistent basis. He has remade his body during the summer and will play a variety of positions depending on various game plans. Entering his fourth year in the NBA, 21-year old Andris Biedrins will look to continue to make a name for himself. (photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty) Monta Ellis vs. Monta Ellis- The Most Improved Player in the NBA returns for only his third year as another 21 year old on the roster. Point guard or shooting guard? Positions Positions are really irrelevant in Don Nelson’s system, but Monta will be asked to handle the ball, score in the open floor, improve on the defensive end and continue to work on his left hand. Plenty of opportunity and plenty of competition on this roster for minutes at all positions, and Monta will be in the mix for certain. Matt Barnes vs. Matt Barnes- What a tremendous story from a year ago. Barnes was the final training camp invitee, on the verge of giving up the NBA and trying to make the NFL as a wide receiver, he became the Warriors Swiss Army knife. Small forward, Power forward, three-point shooter, defender, fast break igniter, full court passer, he did it all while posting career bests in every category. Again, a key cog in team chemistry and plays at “Warrior tempo” (think 90 MPH). Kelenna Azubuike vs. Kelenna Azubuike- A find from the D league, Azubuike has a huge opportunity this year at off guard and small forward. Excellent three point shooter, great NBA body, very smart player and nice defensive player who can just flat out score. I think he will be a nice contributor this season. Mickael Pietrus vs. Mickael Pietrus- Found a niche in Don Nelson’s system as a rebounder/runner, three-point shooter and energizer. In games that Pietrus played well, the Warriors almost never lost. Consistency is the key for one of the most likeable players on the roster. Patrick O’Bryant vs. Patrick O’Bryant- The backup center spot is wide open for the Warriors this year. Will O’Bryant seize the opportunity? His length is obvious, along with the ability to block shots. He has surprising shooting skills and is a good free throw shooter for a big man. Year Two is usually uneven for young centers, but O’Bryant should continue to improve. How about the “Summer Six”? The new Warriors for this season: Marco Belinelli vs. Jason Richardson. Now this is not a fair comparison. Belinelli comes in as the 18th pick (and only 21 years old) to compete for minutes at the off-guard position and will get help from Monta Ellis and Kelenna Azubuike manning this spot. But replacing Richardson’s productivity/ toughness/consistency will be a season-long story. Fortunately, the Warriors depth will help in this regard. Brandan Wright vs. Josh Powell. 7’5” wingspan and an absolute gazelle running the floor, the 8th pick in the draft will spend his final teenage year working on his body and playing against the best players in the world. Very talented and part of the Warriors future. The faster he develops, the more he will play. Head Coach Don Nelson is very high on the potential of 2007 first round pick Marco Belinelli (photo: Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty) Kosta Perovic & Austin Croshere vs. Adonal Foyle. The Warriors will carry a full 15 players this season and Perovic and Croshere have a real opportunity at the four and five spots. The Warriors need size, rebounding and toughness. Croshere is a proven vet who is also an excellent free throw shooter. He definitely is a nice option in game-ending situations, when the opponent is in a must foul situation. Stephane Lasme vs. Zarko Carbarkapa. No contest as Zarko was hurt all of last season. Lasme could be a find in the second round. He is a good shot-blocker and rugged rebounder, and those skills should get him on the floor at certain times. Troy Hudson vs. Sarunas Jasikevicius. Hudson has been bothered by ankle injuries, but if healthy has been a very good scorer and is a much-needed veteran on the roster. He has the ability to run a team and gives Nelson additional depth in the backcourt to spell Baron. Sarunas didn’t play much last season, so there is potential for an upgrade at this spot. Hudson is also an excellent free thrower, one of the Warriors problem areas last season. Are the Warriors better? I believe they are certainly deeper and incredibly young and intriguing. The club features eight players that are 24-or-younger and they all seem to fit the Warriors style of play. With so many lineup combinations, Don Nelson should be at his Mad Scientist best mixing and matching on a nightly basis. Plus, excellent depth also helps out with the inevitable injuries that teams must overcome throughout an NBA season. So there it is Warriors fans. Nine players returning from last season’s squad with six new additions. Is this a better team? Only time will tell, but I for one cannot wait to find out. Opening Night is only a month away!