| From October 2-11, the Warriors will hold training
camp at their practice facility in Downtown Oakland. Each day, warriors.com
will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the team and coaching staff
as they practice and prepare for the upcoming season. |
|
October 9, 2006
Open Practice
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Open Practice Photo Gallery
Mickael Pietrus helped greet fans entering the Arena on Monday night. (warriors.com photo)
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Following six consecutive days of grueling two-a-day practice sessions,
the Warriors were given a much-deserved break on Monday. That is,
until Monday night's open practice held at the Arena in Oakland
began. The large number of Warriors fans in attendance at the free
event can attest to the fact that Head Coach Don Nelson has his
players running...and running...and running.
Monday's open practice was entertaining from start to finish, and
warriors.com was there to cover every detail. The dedicated fans
who showed up were first greeted at the Arena entrance by Mickael
Pietrus and rookie Patrick O'Bryant. Always the entertainer, Pietrus
was even seen giving a few jumping chest-bumps to a handful of enthusiastic
passers-by. Upon heading to their seats, the fans also got a chance to
shake hands with Andris Biedrins and Zarko Cabarkapa.
Before practice began, the Hoop Troop livened up the crowd by tossing
them t-shirts and other prizes. By the time most fans had filed
in, half of the lower bowl was completely full. Practice began with
the introduction of Coach Nelson and the rest of the coaching staff,
followed by the 18 players on the Warriors' training camp roster.
Following introductions, the players began stretching and loosening
up while Coach Nelson addressed the crowd. Nellie discussed what
the schedule for the night would entail and joked that he didn't
know exactly what to expect because "players like to show off
in front of a crowd." Next, he split the club into two teams,
the Blue Team and the White Team, and had them run offensive sets.
From there, he had the entire team go through fast break drills
such as '3-on-2, 2-on-1.' Three NBA officials were on hand for the
practice, and they warmed up a bit by officiating the drills. Coach
Nelson took the opportunity to kid with the refs a bit, as well
as some of his players. When Mickael Pietrus was called for traveling,
Nelson quipped, "That one only works in Europe." After
witnessing consecutive turnovers in one drill, he told the crowd,
"Coach is getting angry. Do you mind if I turn the mic off?"
As one would expect, the drills involved a good amount of running.
There was rarely a moment when players were not moving from one
place to another or running down the court at full speed.
Following a 5-on-5 half court defensive drill, the teams once again
split up, this time to begin scrimmaging. The Blue Team consisted
of Baron Davis, Dajuan Wagner, Mickael Pietrus, Mike Dunleavy, Troy
Murphy, Ike Diogu, Andris Biedrins and Matt Barnes. Making up the
White Team were Keith McLeod, Monta Ellis, Andre Owens, Zarko Cabarkapa,
Adonal Foyle, Patrick O'Bryant, Dijon Thompson and Anthony Roberson.
The teams would go on to play four, 10-minute quarters with a running
clock.
Immediately during the scrimmage, one could notice Nelson's influence.
Big men were pulling down rebounds and dribbling up court, handling
the ball in the high-post and constantly moving along with the guards
and swingmen. The White Team took an early lead in what eventually
became a back-and-forth contest. There were numerous 'ooohs' and 'aaahs'
from the crowd, but none bigger than during the closing moments of
the scrimmage. Down three points, Baron Davis nailed a three-pointer
with 17.1 seconds on the clock to force the tie for the Blue Team.
Holding for one shot on the other end, the White Team found Dijon
Thompson in the left corner, where he sank his own three-pointer,
giving White a 70-67 victory over Blue.
Rookie Patrick O'Bryant had the crowd laughing as he played duck-duck-goose at the end of practice. (warriors.com photo) |
Following the game, as a final treat for the fans, Baron Davis called
out O'Bryant and Roberson and made the two young players participate
in a game of duck-duck-goose with several young Warriors fans. Everyone
got a good chuckle out of the stunt, especially when the 7-foot O'Bryant
was chasing one of the children around the circle.
Overall, the night was entertaining for all involved. The players
enjoyed being back in front of the fans, and the fans were as enthusiastic
as ever. The incredible amount of loyalists who came out to the
open practice shows just how dedicated Warriors fans truly are.
The next chance to catch the team will be when they open their
preseason schedule with a home contest versus Turkish club Efes
Pilsen on Thursday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. Also, remember to catch
the Warriors' preseason TV special, which will debut this week on
FSN Bay Area on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.
View
Open Practice Photo Gallery
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October 8, 2006
Ah, the end is near. Yes, for 18 tired and exasperated Golden State
Warriors, the end of training camp - at least the two-a-day sessions
- has finally arrived. Coach Don Nelson will put his team through
their final evening practice later tonight and, at that point, the
Warriors will have completed 12 practices and six (6) consecutive
two-a-days. Under NBA rules, teams cannot have two-a-day practices
after the first six days of camp and Nellie certainly utilized every
second that he had available to him. Most coaches will run a team
through several double sessions during training camp, but usually
not six in a row. During my 15 years in the NBA, I have never been
with a coach who had six consecutive two-a-days (usually not more
then two or three in a row). But, this is not a normal training camp.
Nellie is implementing a new system and has spent a ton of time teaching,
directing and, heck, even learning the names of his players.
Following Sunday's morning practice, Nellie spoke to the media about
how well Mickael Pietrus has played during training camp and the fact
that Andris Biedrins has also impressed him. However, he still has
problems with the pronunciation of the names and asked rhetorically
on Sunday why the team could not have more simple names, such as Chuck.
So, from this point forward, we just might refer to Andris as Chuck.
We'll see if it sticks.
Speaking of Pietrus, Coach Nelson informed the media on Sunday that
the 6'6" Frenchman will, at least for now, be his starting small
forward. He has been very impressed with MP's ability to defend and
shoot the ball in training camp....and stay within his limitations.
Mickael was all smiles when informed of the decision after practice
on Sunday and said that he welcomes the challenge on both ends of
the court. He has exhibited some of the defensive tenacity that he
displayed during his first year or two in the league and that has
been a welcomed sight for Coach Nelson. Due to his quickness and athleticism,
MP can be a great defender when puts his mind to it and makes it a
priority. And, it appears that Coach Nelson has convinced him to do
just that if he wants to remain on the floor.
Baron Davis and the rest of the team endured two practices a day for six-consecutive days. (warriors.com photo) |
Bay Area fans will have an opportunity to see MP and the rest of the
Warriors on the floor for the first time on Monday night, when the
team will hold a free open practice at The Arena in Oakland beginning
at 6:00 p.m. (free parking and free admission). And, Coach Nelson
has already determined the teams for the scrimmage. The Blue Team
will consist of Baron Davis, Dajuan Wagner, Mickael Pietrus, Mike
Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Andris Biedrins, Ike Diogu and Matt Barnes.
Meanwhile, the White Team will be composed of Keith McLeod, Monta
Ellis, Dijon Thompson, Zarko Cabarkapa, Adonal Foyle, Andre Owens,
Anthony Roberson and Patrick O'Bryant. Fans will also have an opportunity
to shake hands with four (4) of the players - McLeod, Pietrus, Biedrins
and Cabarkapa - when they are greeted at the entrance to The Arena
between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m. The scrimmage will consist of four (4)
10-minute quarters.
One aspect of Coach Nelson's philosophy that will be on display on
Monday night will be the team's defensive presence. Obviously, Nellie
has a reputation as an offensive-minded coach - and deservedly so
- but as he indicated during his introductory press conference six
weeks ago, defense will be a priority for this team during practice
sessions and it certainly was throughout training camp. In fact, he
has the unique ability to run a practice during which he can focus
on both offense and defense at the same time, which is usually not
the case with most coaches. Typically, offensive and defensive sets
are addressed on different sides of the court at various times during
practice. However, Nellie, for example, will stand and evaluate an
offensive set during practice and interrupt the session to point out
how the defensive players are not in the correct location on the court.
As Warriors' Assistant Coach Keith Smart said earlier today, "the
man does not miss anything."
Following Monday night's open practice, the Warriors will hold single
practices on Tuesday and Wednesday in Oakland before hosting Efes
Pilsen, a team from Turkey, on Thursday night. Coach Nelson has indicated
that he will send a scout to watch Efes Pilsen play in Denver on Tuesday
night because he really does not know much about the team and its
personnel and wants to be prepared. He also acknowledged that this
will mark the first time in his coaching career that he has sent a
scout to view an opponent for a preseason game.
Thursday will also mark the preseason debut of rookie Patrick O'Bryant,
who was selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 2006 NBA
Draft (# 9 overall). O'Bryant, after missing the first several practice
sessions as he recovered from a broken right foot, has impressed Coach
Nelson since he has returned to the hardwood. Nellie has mentioned
on more then one occasion how much he likes O'Bryant's potential,
how smart he is and how he is impressed with his ability and size.
However, he has also cautioned that the kid is very young and will
need time to grow and learn the game. But, he certainly likes what
he has seen thus far and thinks that he could be a special player.
During the latter stages of training camp, O'Bryant showed the ability
to shoot the ball (out to 15-16 feet), rebound and change the shot
of an offensive player driving the lane. And, most impressively, you
add those tools with an extremely big body, measuring at 7'0"
and 250 pounds, and the future could be very intriguing.
And, finally, we encourage you to watch the Warriors' preseason TV
special, which will debut this week on FSN Bay Area on Wednesday night
at 7:00 p.m. The 30-minute show - "Warriors Basketball, It's
A Great Time Out" - will feature interviews with several players,
Coach Nelson and Executive VP of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin.
The show will air a total of eight times throughout the month of October.
|
October 7, 2006
The Warriors
have been very receptive to Coach Nelson during training camp
practice. (warriors.com photo) |
While most students enjoy a Saturday away from the classroom, these
Warrior pupils were happy to be in class this morning. Coming off
what Coach Nelson called the team’s best practice Friday night;
the team seemed to be in high spirits and eager to learn. Professor
Nelson spent much of the morning installing a couple of different
zone defense and offensive sets. And although impressed with the
young Warriors ability to learn and retain his coaching principals,
Nelson said after practice that this will probably be the last new
concept he will give the team before its preseason opener on Thursday
vs. Efes Pilsen at The Arena in Oakland.
Several Warriors wish Thursday was already here. Don’t get
me wrong, this team enjoys learning from a future Hall-of-Famer
but they want to see the fruits of their labor and that first game
will give them an opportunity to see just how far they come. Thursday
will be important to the team, as a whole, but it will be especially
significant to Matt Barnes, Anthony Roberson and Dijon Thompson.
Those are the three Warriors Training Camp invitees. Warrior fans
might not be too familiar with them but all three have NBA experience.
Barnes owns career averages of 3.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0
assists in 137 regular-season games over a three seasons with the
Clippers, Kings, Knicks and 76ers. Barnes has really impressed coaches
with his rebounding ability but its also been his shooting that
has raised some eyebrows in camp. A prototypical Nellie player,
the 6-7 forward can pass, rebound and shoot. He isn’t the
only one who can put out the gym lights, Anthony Roberson can as
well.
Roberson, appeared in 16 games with Memphis last season as a rookie
averaging 2.2 points in 5.5 minutes per contest. He’s a 6-2
guard who’s no stranger to putting the ball in the hoop. As
a sophomore at Florida, he led the Gators to the SEC Tournament
finals. In the semifinals, versus Vanderbilt, he put in 35 points
which was the best performance by a Gator since 1982. Additionally,
he set a UF record with 99 three-point field goals in 2003-04 and
shot 267-for-665 (.402) from beyond the arc in his three years in
Gainesville.
Finally, Thompson appeared in 10 games as a rookie with the Phoenix
Suns, averaging 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 4.3 minutes. Like
Roberson, he can also shoot the rock. The 6-7 guard/forward finished
his collegiate career as the 19th all-time leading scorer in UCLA
history with 1,458 points. In addition, he finished fifth on the
UCLA’s all-time list for three-point field goals made with
133.
It won’t be easy for these guys to make the regular-season
squad, with 15 players currently under contract, but they’ve
done their part to make it difficult for the Warriors front office
staff to let them leave. I’d imagine that Vice President of
Basketball Operations Chris Mullin and General Manager Rod Higgins
are going to take a long hard look at these guys before deciding
what to do. Fans will have the opportunity to get a glimpse of them
as well. Hopefully we’ll see you all out at the Arena on Thursday
Night at 7:30 when the Warriors tip-off their 2006-07 campaign versus
Efes Pilesen of Turkey.
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October 6, 2006
View
Day 4 Practice Photos
Morning Practice Update -- 4:00 p.m.
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The Warriors have been very receptive to Coach Nelson during training camp practice. (warriors.com
photo) |
It was another morning "teaching session" as most of
the practice was spent working on either team defensive rotations
or going through the offensive plays that have already been installed.
On the defensive end, the players were versed on almost every rotation
imaginable and seemed to pick up their assignments fairly quickly.
Head Coach Don Nelson has commented previously that he's very impressed
at how quickly these players have picked up his system and his schemes,
and that includes on the defensive end. Offensively, the players
appear to be getting more comfortable with the plays (and play calls)
that Nellie has installed. Each time they run through a play, it
seems that if they extend it just one more pass a new option appears.
A welcome sight on the court was the return of Monta Ellis who
has sat out every practice up until now due to a strained right
thigh. If you didn't already know that he had been sitting out,
you would not have known by watching Monta during this practice.
At one point while the team was going through their offensive sets,
he curled around a screen on the block, caught a pass from the top
of the key and without a dribble elevated quickly for a one-handed
dunk -- as he did many times during the 2005-06 season. It will
depend on how Monta's injury feels when he returns to the gym this
evening whether or not he'll practice in the second session.
Zarko Cabarkapa was also back on the court after sitting out Wednesday's
sessions with a sprained right ankle that he suffered in Tuesday
evening's session.
Of course the session ended with more free throw shooting. Although
Mike Dunleavy was unable to duplicate his 100-for-100 performace
from last night, the 96 he made today is nothing to be ashamed of.
Warriors.com will be spending its Friday Night here at the facility
to take in the second session, so be sure to check back for exclusive
updates and highlights.
Evening Practice Update -- 9:00 p.m.
The evening practice session was, quite simply, a good one. Nellie
said as much afterwards, noting that tonight was "the first time
that everyone made all their shots." And while literally all
the shots were not falling, a majority of them were.
One player who was making more than a majority of his shots was Mickael
Pietrus. Just like anyone who ever played "Double Dribble"
on the original Nintendo had their magic shooting spot, M.P. has apparently
found his magic spot too...and it's in the corner. From both sides
of the floor, Pietrus knocked down nearly every three-pointer he took
from the corner tonight, so much so that it was a shock when one DID
NOT go in.
Monta Ellis took part in his first evening session of this training
camp and looked strong, evoking praise from Nelson. Particularly,
the veteran coach was impressed with what he called Monta's "blazing
speed."
The only thing drawing more praise from Nelson than Monta's effort
this evening was the effort he witnessed today from the Oakland A's.
Following the morning practice, Nelson and assistant coach Larry
Riley hopped on BART and traveled a few stops South to watch the
A's defeat the Minnesota Twins and finish off a sweep of their first
round playoff series. "The game was great, the crowd was great,
the train ride over was great," Nellie said about his afternoon
away from the basketball court.
The team returns on Saturday morning for another session, hoping
to build on what just may have been their best practice yet. Warriors.com
will be here all weekend to keep you updated.
View
Day 4 Practice Photos
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October 5, 2006
View Day 3 Practice Photos
The Warriors have been picking up Coach Nelson's system quickly thus far. (warriors.com photo)
|
Under the tutelage of new Head Coach Don Nelson, the initial three
days of training camp for the Warriors have resembled school. A
lot of teaching. A lot of learning. A lot of listening. Thursday's
two practice sessions, in fact, reminded me of specific type of
school ---- traffic school. Coach Nelson sent his team through various
offensive and defensive schemes on Thursday and the word he uttered
most frequently was "STOP." The Warriors, in the midst
of running a fast break, had a player make a wrong cut and boom,
there was the most commonly-used phrase of the day.......
"STOP. What are you suppose to do in that situation?"
The Warriors, in the midst of learning a defensive rotation, had
a player forget to double team.
"STOP. What are you suppose to do in that situation?"
The Warriors, in the midst of running a 2-on-1 fast break, had a
player fail to run the wing correctly.
"STOP. What are you suppose to do in that situation?"
Yes, Don Nelson is doing a lot of teaching in training camp and
he's even playing cross-walk guard and repeating his new favorite
word. Stop. Stop. Stop. Thus far in training camp, he has been,
by far, the most vocal coach on the floor. A lot of head coaches
will simply oversee practice and defer to their assistants to run
the show, but not Coach Nelson. He has his pulse - and his say -
on virtually every possession. In fact, during team scrimmages,
he will group the offense together, pop in the middle of the huddle
and provide his strategy. Short. Simple. Concise. And, more often
then not, the results are positive.
Despite, however, his penchant for the four letter word (STOP) in
practice, the new coach mentioned on several occasions on Thursday
how happy he was with his squad and their ability to pick up things
very, very quickly.
"I applauded them today," said Nellie after the morning
practice. "They have done really well. They are a very bright
team. I don't think I've had a team pick up some of the nuances
of my system as quickly as they have in three days. Very impressive."
Also very impressive during the early stages of training camp - and
especially on Thursday - has been an old staple and a new face, Troy
Murphy and newcomer Dajuan Wagner. Murphy, who is very happy with
his new position at center, drilled almost every open shot he had
on Thursday night. And, under Nellie's system, he is going to have
a ton of open opportunities. He may, in fact, accumulate numbers at
the center position that could draw him All-Star consideration. Yao
Ming will, almost assuredly, be the Western Conference starter by
popular vote. However, if the former Notre Dame star is able to take
advantage of Nellie's system - like many players have during their
careers - he might get some consideration. Last season, he averaged
14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. If he should increase those averages
to, say, 17.0 and 11.0, AND the Warriors win their share of games,
he might get a nod or two from some of the other coaches around the
West as a center.
Coach Nelson has already referred to Dajuan Wagner as a 'steal.' (warriors.com
photo) |
Wagner, on the other hand, is not concerned about All-Star games or
switching positions, he's just happy to be around. And, he's taking
advantage of the opportunity. Coach Nelson referred to him as a "steal"
after Thursday's practice and credited Chris Mullin and Rod Higgins
with finding a player of his caliber. The 6'2" guard has demonstrated
an ability to shoot the basketball and get to the basket in camp,
two traits that will serve him well in Coach Nelson's system. Remember,
the kid was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by Cleveland
and averaged over 13 points per game his rookie season before injury
and illness slowed his progress.
One of the most impressive performances in training camp thus far
took place late on Thursday, when Mike Dunleavy stepped to the free
throw line. Dunleavy, as with all 18 players on the roster, must
shoot 100 free throws at the end of every practice. Each player
is required to pair up with a teammate and chart the other's progress
in increments of 10 (10 x 10). Last season, Mike D. shot a respectable
78% from the charity stripe. On this night, however, he nailed a
perfect 100%. Yes, he actually made 100 out of 100 free throws,
enough to put a smile on the face of Hal Wissel, who was hired by
Coach Nelson to help address the team's free throw problems. As
an indication of some of the success enjoyed in camp to date, many
players have shot the ball well from the line, including Troy Murphy
(98% tonight), Dajuan Wagner (93% tonight), Adonal Foyle (90% tonight)
and Andris Biedrins (85% tonight). Wissel indicates that most players
will shoot about 10% better in practice then in a game situation.
So, we'll expect to see Mike D. shoot 90% from the line this season.
Mike Dunleavy went 100-for-100 at the charity stripe to close out practice on Wednesday. (warriors.com) |
Jim Harrick, who has been appointed as the new head coach of the
Bakersfield Jam - the Warriors' NBDL affiliate, attended Thursday's
morning practice. Harrick was eager to watch a Coach Nelson-led
practice and to witness some of the young talent on Golden State's
roster.
And, finally, one of the most talented offensive players in franchise
history was provided a lesson on Wednesday (yes, it was a day ago,
but we had to share this with you). Mitch Richmond, who scored 20,497
points as an NBA player, challenged Warriors' guard Andre Owens
to a three-point shooting contest after the morning workout. About
20 minutes later, Richmond remained on the floor as the jubilant
Owens trotted to the locker room with a big smile on his face, his
fist in the air and a little more cash in his wallet. During one
stretch, Owens nailed about nine consecutive threes, displaying
a shooting touch that could prove beneficial in his effort to impress
coach Nelson. It has already impressed Mitch Richmond.
View Day 3 Practice Photos
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October 4, 2006
View Day 2 Practice Photos
Morning Practice Update -- 4:30 p.m.
Patrick O'Bryant took part in his first practice on Wednesday. (warriors.com photo)
|
With round one under their belts, all 18 Warriors returned for another
marathon day with Coach Nelson Wednesday morning. The team began the
proceedings with a meeting in the Practice Facility locker room and
emerged 25 minutes later ready to go and prepared for two things ----
learning and running. Nellie begins every practice in the locker room
with special instructions, which are delivered from behind his presidential-style
podium (a new addition this season).
First round pick Patrick O’Bryant saw his first on-court
action since fracturing his foot in late August. O’Bryant
participated in the circuit of drills, which included high and low
pick-and-rolls, drive and kicks and post defense. Athletic Trainer
Tom Abdenour indicated that he would be limited to non-contact drills
for the immediate future and progress from this point. O’Bryant
showed some nice offensive moves, which would be an added bonus
for the Warriors since many thought his initial impact would be
felt on the defensive end of the court.
Mickael Pietrus continued to impress the coaching staff on the second day of training camp practice. (warriors.com photo)
|
Speaking of defense, one player whom the Warriors are going to
rely on defensively this season is Mickael Pietrus. Early on Nellie
indicated that several Warriors, including Pietrus, were going to
have to change their roles if they expected to see quality minutes
this year. After the morning session, it appeared at though Pietrus
got the message. He had Nellie singing nothing but praises to the
local media. Coach told local reporters that other than Baron Davis,
no Warrior has impressed him more this training camp. He went on
to say that if he keeps this up, he’s going to see a lot of
minutes this season. Coming off an up-and-down 2005-06 campaign,
Pietrus returned the compliment, saying that he’s feeling
re-energized and is really enjoying playing for the new Boss. We’ll
see how energized he feels after a couple more of these Nellie two-a-days!
Well, that about wraps the morning session here at the Warriors
Practice Facility. Warriors.com will be back this evening with,
hopefully, a look back at the Warriors first team scrimmage.
Evening Practice Update -- 9:30 p.m.
While the team spent most the morning working on individual fundamentals,
Coach Nelson used the majority of the evening session working as a
team, specifically on the offensive end of the floor. One of Nellie’s
many coaching strengths has been his ability to create mismatches
to exploit other teams' weaknesses. He gave us a glimpse of what we
might except to see this upcoming season. During several sets, forward
Mike Dunleavy was initiating much of the offense as he fed the ball
to guard Baron Davis, who was working on the block. This allowed Davis
to post-up a smaller, weaker defender close to the basket and utilize
his offensive creativity.
It isn’t just Nellie’s out-of-the-box thinking that
has allowed him to become the second winningest coach in NBA history;
it has been his pursuit of excellence on every single play. On several
occasions tonight, the players were not in the right position on
the floor and they were required to run through the same set again
and again and again until they ran it to perfection.
Last week, Nellie told us that his offense would be simple…five plays with
three variations to each. He wasn’t kidding. One of the most
meticulous coach’s in the NBA, Nellie had the team spend over
an hour perfecting several different half-court sets as he critiqued
every cut, screen and pass. “A shot created is a shot that MUST
be taken,” he continually yelled tonight. Nellie preaches a
team game, but if you create a shot, he expects you to take it. Tonight,
when these young Warriors lay down to rest, I can assure you one thing
will be dancing through their heads…Nellie’s half court
sets!
Coach Nelson has ended each practice with team free throws and some motivational ribbing. (warriors.com)
|
To close out the evening, Coach Nelson used one of the oldest forms
of motivation as he had the night before. He walked up and down the
baseline, looking into the faces of each of his tired players and,
methodically, picked different guys out and asked them to step to
the foul line. The task was simple: make the free throws and you returned
to the baseline; miss the free throw and the entire team runs. Needless
to say, not many missed, which is a refreshing sign for many Warrior
fans. He did, however, continue to rib and motivate Baron Davis, who
missed his initial free throw and subsequently watched three other
point guards – Keith McLeod, Andre Owens and Dajuan Wager –
make their shots from the charity stripe. Nellie’s comment to
BD ? “I guess you’re my fourth string point guard now;
I’ll probably only use you when the rest of them foul out!”
That elicited a chuckle from everyone.
If tonight is any indication, fans can expect to see one thing
this season with Nellie…the unexpected. It's only Day Two,
but I think his second stint in Oakland is going be as much fun
as the first. Its time for warriors.com and the squad to rest up,
Day Three of Warriors training camp is just a sunrise away.
View Day 2 Practice Photos
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October 3, 2006
View Day 1 Practice Photos
Morning Practice Update -- 4:30 p.m.
Don Nelson stressed defense and the fast break during his first practice. (warriors.com photo)
|
While several players said that Media Day on Monday was like the first
day back at school, the first day of training camp practice on Tuesday
was more like back to work.
The team got together at 11:00 a.m. for the first of two scheduled practice sessions with Nellie assembling the squad in the Practice Facility locker room for a meeting.
When the Warriors finally hit the floor for the first time as a team in 2006-07, they immediately went to work.........on DEFENSE. The first half of practice was committed entirely to the defensive end, with the coaching staff making the players familiar with their expectations on D. The team was put through a number of drills that allowed the players to work on their defensive rotations, something Nelson has said will be vital to the team's success on the defensive end.
From there it was over to the offensive end, and on the first day
of practice for these Warriors under Nelson, that meant working
on the fastbreak. For about 45 minutes, the Warriors ran fastbreak
drill after fastbreak drill. Starting with two players at a time
and expanding to three-, four- and five-player drills, the practice
court appeared to be one continuous fastbreak drill. Something that
became apparent right away was that there will be no standing and
looking for a guard to bring the ball up court after a defensive
rebound -- if a big rebounds, he pushes...if a small rebounds, he
pushes. On several occassions, big men such as Zarko Cabarkapa,
Troy Murphy and even Andris Biedrins were grabbing rebounds and
"leading" fastbreaks.
J-Rich and Monta may have had to sit out practice due to injury, but that didn't stop them from staying involved. (warriors.com photo)
|
Nellie has said that for his system
to work, he will ask players to do things they are not used to doing
and this was a prime example. Nellie would stop the action on occassion
to instill some knowledge about how to CORRECTLY run the fastbreak
and, when needed, to make those who were not doing it correctly
try it again until they got it right.
Along with giving the players a sample of the up-tempo style that
Nelson is going to demand, the drills also served as a near hour-long
conditioning session -- with most players appearing to be in good
physical shape and able to endure the running and gunning at this
early stage of camp. It will be interesting to see how they bounce
back in the evening session that is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.
and will probably include some 5-on-5 scrimmages.
Fittingly, the day ended with all the players working on free throw
shooting for an extended period before addressing the assembled
media.
Other notes from today's early session:
--It was announced that the team had waived Devin Brown prior to
the morning practice.
--Monta Ellis did not participate due to a strained right thigh
(he is listed as day-to-day), joining Jason Richardson, Chris Taft
& Patrick O'Bryant on the sidelines watching and observing while
they could not participate.
Tonight's practice session should be interesting. Per NBA rules,
when a team has double-day practice sessions during training camp,
one practice must be a non-contact session and the other can be
full contact. What that essentially means is that one full session
must be dedicated to drills & teaching, while the other "full contact"
session can be used for scrimmaging.
While the local media is not allowed to cover the evening sessions,
warriors.com will be on hand to provide a full report. Check back
soon for details.
Evening Practice Update -- 8:30 p.m.
From the "don't always believe what you read on blogs"
category, the previously mentioned scrimmages at this evening's practice
did not happen.
Spirited competition and hard work could definitely be found at the Warriors Practice Facility on Tuesday night. (warriors.com photo)
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That doesn't mean, however, that there was not a lot of 5-on-5 full
court runs and that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of contact going
on. It simply means that a scrimmage, in the truest sense, did not
happen tonight. Here's a look at what did happen as viewed from warriors.com
perch high atop the Practice Facility courts:
--Most of the first half of the evening session was focused on transition
defense. While the main focus was on the defensive execution, the
players were also being harped on about using the lessons learned
in fastbreak drills at the morning sessions while on the offensive
side of the ball. The spirt was good, as the importance of verbal
communication in transition defense was stressed and executed.
--There were 5-on-5 sessions, in which Nellie would design a play
for the offensive team and, if they scored, they would stay on that
end and run another play. If they didn't score, the ball was live
and going the other way until that play was finished. Then Nellie
would huddle up with the other squad and get them into a play. This
went back and forth for a quite some time, with good execution leading
to open shots and bad execution leading to a "tweet" from
the ever-present whistle around Nellie's neck and a call to "DO
IT AGAIN."
Ike Diogu and the rest of the Warriors big men will be asked to push the ball in transition this season. (warriors.com photo)
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--Another cornerstone of Nellie's philosphy came out in this 5-on-5
action, and that is seeing players at various positions and on various
spots on the floor. At one point, the "blue" team consisted
of Baron Davis, Dajuan Wagner, Mickael Pietrus, Mike Dunleavy and
Troy Murphy. Almost everytime they ran a play, each player would be
in a different spot than the previous time and asked to carry-out
a different assignment. The ability for every player on this team
to know not only their position on the floor but also the assignments
of every other position is going to be key for the team's success.
--Highlights of the evening practice session included the impressive
play of Dajuan Wagner, who showed that he can not only knock down
the open shot either in transition or in the set offense, but also
an uncanny ability to get into the paint off the dribble and create
in tight spaces. On several occassions he showed a stutter-step move
while coming down the sidelines with the ball that allowed him to
blow by his defender and get to the hole.
--Another highlight was the spirted effort from Mickael Pietrus. On
one sequence in the 5-on-5, he attempted to draw a charge in the lane
when one of his teammates had been beat (there were no refs, so after
he was bowled over, play continued) only to pop-up off the floor and
beat EVERYONE on the court to the other end and finish a long pass
from Baron Davis with a lay-up. The effort drew a round of applause
from all the coaches and players who were on the sidelines watching
at the time.
Baron Davis was all business on the first day of practice. (warriors.com)
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--Finally, more free throws and conditioning. With all the players
on the baseline, each player was called out by Nellie to attempt either
a foul shot or three-pointer. For each miss, the whole group had to
sprint the length of the floor four times. While we won't call out
those who missed, warriors.com can tell you that when Nellie handed
Baron the ball almost everyone in the gym got a laugh as coach told
the potential runners to "Get Ready." Davis stopped laughing
long enough to draw nothing but net on his attempt.
Theme for the day was -- run, run, run, run, run some more....and
then shoot free throws. The offensive drills involved getting up and
down the court. The defensive drills involved getting up and down
the court. The conditioning, more of the same. Nellie has made no
secret that this team is going to run, and it has started on Day 1.
View Day 1 Practice Photos |
October 2, 2006
View Media Day Photo Gallery
Davis showed up to camp in impressive shape.
(Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty) |
The Warriors hosted their annual Media Day on Monday at the team's downtown Oakland practice facility. And, if the first day of school revealed anything, it's that guard Baron Davis spent a good portion of his summer vacation in the gym or on a track in Los Angeles or Las Vegas, his two primary off-season residences. Davis, who was sidelined the last 19 games of last season due to a sprained right ankle, appeared to be in outstanding shape and graded very well in team physicals that were administered later in the day. Mark Grabow, the Warriors' Director of Athletic Development, indicated that BD had put in a lot of time the last couple of months in preparation for the season (after allowing his ankle to heal during the first part of the off-season). It appears that Davis is ready and eager for the start of training camp, which begins tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. One Northern California writer, who has covered Davis dating back to his UCLA days, indicated that he thought Davis looked in better shape then at any point in his college or NBA career.
Prior to Media Day, Head Coach Don Nelson addressed the team for the initial time as a group. The 45-minute meeting set the tone for the season and focused on several elements, including team rules, what the coaching staff expected of the players, his vision for the team and other related subjects. Nelson had spoken to many of the players individually prior to Media Day and utilized the latter stages of the afternoon for one-on-one meetings in his office with two players whom he had yet to address - Davis and Monta Ellis.
During the team meeting, Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, also informed the players of who would serve as the team's captains this season. Jason Richardson, Baron Davis and Mike Dunleavy were hand-picked by the coach to fill the role as tri-captains during the 2006-07 season.
Andris Biedrins tried his hand at photography at one point during Media Day. (warriors.com photo)
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Media Day, which is held each season on the day prior to the start of training camp, was attended by roughly 80 members of the media and other invited guests, including a few Season Ticket Holders who were fortunate enough to win an opportunity to attend the "Ultimate Media Day Experience." Each of the 19 players on the Warriors' preseason roster were in uniform and escorted through a "media circuit" which included photos, TV promotions, radio reads, entertainment skits and interviews. During one specific photo shoot, Davis and Richardson sported Golden State's Hardwood Classic jerseys, which the team will wear on occasion (8-10 times) this season following a one-year absence (Gold jerseys). And, of course, there were the standard humorous aspects to Media Day as well, including center Andris Biedrins playing professional photographer as he zoomed in on teammate Zarko Cabarkapa and forward Chris Taft revealing his, ah, questionable singing skills during one specific interview. The only missing element from Media Day was Lucky, Coach Nelson's beloved dog who has become a fixture around the team's practice facility. Lucky, it seems, had other obligations and was not available for comment or photos.
View Media Day Photo Gallery
Earlier in the day, the Warriors announced that they had signed three free agents (training camp invitees), Matt Barnes, Dijon Thompson and Anthony Roberson. The trio of players were members of various NBA teams last season in Philadelphia (Barnes), Phoenix (Thompson) and Memphis (Roberson).
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September 29, 2006
Nelson returns to the Warriors after serving as the team's head coach from 1988-1995.
(Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty) |
It's almost time. It's almost basketball season.
Warriors Training Camp will officially begin on Monday, October 2 when the team holds its annual Media Day. On that day, players and coaches will spend hours being interviewed by the media, posing for a variety of photos, shooting promotional spots for radio and television and much more. It will also serve as the last day before the team begins two-a-day workouts to start preparing for the upcoming season.
The Warriors will hold this year's camp at their practice facility in Downtown Oakland, a place where many of the players have already been working out and scrimmaging over the past few weeks. In fact, several players have been in and out of the practice facility all offseason, working on their game, getting stronger and becoming familiar with new head coach Don Nelson.
It was at these scrimmages where the newest Warrior, Dajuan Wagner, turned quite a few heads with his impressive play. After missing all of last season while suffering from colitis, the 6'2 guard worked his way back into playing shape and began to get back out onto the court. His hard work and outstanding play earned him a contract with the Warriors and a chance to play for a coach who will surely know how to utilize his talents. Wagner is one of several new faces who will try to keep impressing Nelson and the rest of the coaching staff as training camp progresses.
As a precursor to Media Day, Don Nelson recently met with members of the local media. During his Q&A session, he discussed training camp and his thoughts on the upcoming season. You can listen to the two-part interview by clicking on the links below:
PART 1 | PART 2
Each day during camp, we will keep you posted on all the behind-the-scenes action, from observations about practice to photos to overall team updates. Check back often to stay in tune as the team gets ready for the 2006-07 season.
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