NELLIEBALL! | Finished.

by **Lamrock** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:30 pm

Game: NBA 2K9 & NBA 2K10 (XBOX 360)
Team: Golden State Warriors
Season Length: 82 games
Playoff Length: 7-7-7-7
Simmed Quarter Length: 12 minutes
Played Quarter Length: 9 minutes
Edit Prospects: Real 2009 draftees, 2010 draftees will be mix of real, NLSC and fictional
Rosters: As Of June 11, with different offseason events but some real trades made as they happen

New dynasty. Should be good. Recaps will consist of blog, story and NBA.com posts. I'm starting with the 2009-10 season with real rookies. Hope you follow!

by **Lamrock** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:31 pm

by **Lamrock** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:31 pm

Your 2009-2010 Golden State Warriors:

-----STARTERS-----

Point Guard: Steve Nash | 6'3", 178 lbs | Santa Clara | Born: 2/7/1974
Shooting Guard: Anthony Morrow | 6'5", 210 lbs | Georgia Tech | Born: 9/27/1985
Small Forward: Stephen Jackson | 6'8", 215 lbs | N/A | Born: 4/5/1978
Power Forward: Anthony Randolph | 6'11", 220 lbs | LSU | Born: 7/15/1989
Center: Andris Biedrins | 6'11", 240 lbs | Latvia | Born: 4/2/1986

-----ROTATION-----

Center: Mark Blount | 7'0", 250 lbs | Pittsburgh | Born: 11/30/1975
Center: Kyrylo Fesenko | 7'1", 300 lbs | Ukraine | 12/26/1986

by **Lamrock** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:32 pm

THE NELLIEBALL PREDICTION GAME

Like most dynastassociations, NELLIEBALL! will have a prediction game. It won't be as elaborate or time consuming as Thierryhenry's, but it should be fun. There will be predictions for both the regular season and the playoffs, but for now, I will just cover the season.

HOW TO PLAY:

Before each game month, I will post the schedule. To participate in the game, you'll put either a W (win) or an L (loss) next to each game. Each correctly predicted result gets you a point, along with two bonus points for pegging the team's record for that month. Additionally, predicting the players and rookies of the month will give you a point each. Additionally, you can earn points by accurately guessing the "Nelliepoints" leaders. (more on that later). You can post predictions at any time, but I'll be updating this in shorter intervals than months, so points for predicting games already recapped, along with Nelliepoints leaders will be void.

NELLIEPOINTS:

This season, coach Don Nelson will be giving points to the players who put up the three best performances in a given game. The best player gets 3 points, second best gets 2 and third best gets one. Before each month, you can guess who will finish with the most, second most and third most points at the end of the month. Accurately predicting a player to be in the top 3 is one point, predicting them in the right slot is two. Further details on Nelliepoints to come.

INCENTIVE:

Winners get bragging rights, a cookie, but most importantly, a berth in the 2010 draft class, joining guys like John Wall, Derrick Favors and Donatas Motiejunas. All participants who wish to be inserted will be entered, but only the top 5 will be projected first-rounders. Your players' rating hinges on your performance in the prediction game.

EXAMPLE:

Code: Select all: [b]@ Grizzlies:[/b] W [b]Vs. Hornets:[/b] L [b]East Player:[/b] LeBron James [b]West Player:[/b] Kobe Bryant [b]East Rookie:[/b] James Harden [b]West Rookie:[/b] Ricky Rubio [b]Nelliepoints Leaders:[/b] 1. Monta Ellis 2. Steve Nash 3. Stephen Jackson

Leaderboard:

Sit: 60 points (32+13+15)
Martti.: 50 points (33+12+5)
newc: 43 points (32+11)
thierryhenry50: 42 points (31+11)
Cartar: 42 points (31+11)
Valor: 38 points (13+3)
Skilmatic: 33 points (18+15)
jesrie: 27 points (27+0)
Clutch: 25 points (10+15)
magician: 21 points (21+0)
dare019: 5 points (0+0+5)
TheDee: 5 points (0+0+5)

by **Sit** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:34 pm

Ok, I'm looking forward to this one. I hope that you make it as good as you think it will be.

Good luck! (Y)

by **Lamrock** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:12 pm

Thanks Sit! I hope so too. This ones gonna start with the 2009-10 season, but I have real draftees. :chug:

by **33_ALLDAY_33** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:54 pm

Good luck with this. Take my hometeam town far!

by **jonthefon** on Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:45 pm

Bastard, I was planning to do a Warriors Association Story for 2K10, featuring my ego and bitterness

. Even have a pretty long (1000-word) example piece which I got from playing with Golden State in 2K9. I guess first-come first-served though, good luck.

by **newc** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 1:45 am

Great to see a dynasty about Warriors. Hope you can make them suck less, because if Biedrins wouldn't be there, I really wouldn't care about this team. But good luck and i'll be following

YouTube · by **Thierry •** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:29 am

Nice team selection man. I will be following, as usual. :mrgreen:

by **Shabron** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 6:33 am

love the warriors, but ughhh nelsonnn

following

by **Valor** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:05 am

Looking forward to this mate (Y)

by **akokulit** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:58 pm

Looking forward with this too. I expect to see some beefed up rosters. But not too much beef. :lol:

by **Lamrock** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:11 pm

The Warrior Zone wrote:|---THE WARRIOR ZONE---|

2008-09 Golden State Warriors Season In Review

Posted June 17, 2009, 7:29 PM - The Lakers have defeated the Orlando Magic in 6 games to win the 2009 NBA title, and so ends an aimless and disappointing season for the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors followed up the legendary "We Believe" playoff run with a solid 48 game season, but were unlucky to miss the playoffs. In the offseason, they lost franchise player Baron Davis to the Clippers, and overcompensated by signing Corey Maggette to a big deal for no apparent reason, and trading big man Al Harrington for Jamal "crawful" Crawford for no apparent reason. A subsequent moped accident to 66 million dollar man Monta Ellis equals an atrocious 29 win season.

The lone bright spot of the season: Anthony Randolph. This young man has made the Warriors missing the playoffs in 2008 a good thing. Randolph has averaged 7.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game (that's 15.9 and 13.7 Per 36). He hasn't had the consistency of a star, but after moving out of Nellie's doghouse, has shown an extremely high ceiling, and made the all-rookie second team. He better fucking start next season.

Some games the Warriors would look like contenders, and then lose by 30 the next game. The flaws of Nellieball are starting to show, but with a healthy roster, this team looks to have the talent to make a playoff run. However, while some things have worked this year, others have not. Jamal Crawford somehow manages to be a defensive liability for a Don Nelson-coached squad. Monta Ellis is too dumb to be a point guard, and Marcus Williams and C.J. Disaster are not the answer. (and if the Warriors acquire The Answer... well then I quit.)

On the bright side, we have the #5 pick in a Point Guard-heavy draft, and have some good disposable talent. Unfortunately, we're the Warriors. As long as Chris Cohan is our owner, we will suck.

--------------------

2008-09 Golden State Warriors Roster
C - Andris Biedrins
PF - Stephen Jackson
SF - Kelenna Azubuike
SG - Jamal Crawford
PG - Monta Ellis
----------
Corey Maggette
CJ Watson
Ronnie Turiaf
Marcus Williams
Brandan Wright
Anthony Morrow
Rob Kurz
----------
Demarcus Nelson
Jermareo Davidson

Final Standings - Western Conference

1. Lakers 60-22
2. Spurs 56-26
3. Blazers 50-32
4. Jazz 49-33
5. Mavericks 48-34
6. Nuggets 47-35
7. Rockets 46-36
8. Hornets 44-38
----------
Kings 36-46
Timberwolves 33-49
Thunder 32-50
Suns 32-50
Warriors 29-53
Grizzlies 28-54
Clippers 23-59

Final Standings - Eastern Conference

1. Celtics 59-23
2. Cavaliers 55-27
3. Magic 53-29
4. Bulls 47-35
5. Nets 46-36
6, 76ers 43-39
7. Pacers 42-40
8. Heat 40-42
----------
Raptors 38-44
Knicks 36-46
Bucks 35-47
Bobcats 35-47
Pistons 34-48
Hawks 33-49
Wizards 21-61

2009 NBA Awards

MVP: LeBron James (CLE): 29.2/8.3/7.5
ROY: Derrick Rose (CHI): 16.9/5.3/6.2
6th Man: Mike Miller (MIN): 10.9/4.7/4.6
DPOY: Dwight Howard (ORL): 21.2/12.0/2.9 blocks
MIP: Aaron Brooks (HOU): 14.9/2.5/6.3
ALL-NBA First Team: Paul/Kobe/James/Nowitzki/Howard
ALL-NBA Second Team: Billups/Wade/Durant/Gasol/Yao
ALL-NBA Third Team: Harris/Roy/Garnett/Duncan/O'Neal
ALL-DEF First Team: Paul/Wade/James/Jefferson/Howard
ALL-DEF Second Team: Rondo/Bryant/Battier/Duncan/Chandler
ALL-ROOKIE First Team: Rose/Mayo/Beasley/Love/Lopez
ALL-ROOKIE Second Team: Westbrook/Gordon/Fernandez/Randolph/Gasol
Coach Of The Year: Phil Jackson (Lakers: 60-22)
Executive Of The Year: Kevin Pritchard (Blazers: 50-32)

2009 NBA Playoffs

First Round

Lakers 4-2 Hornets
Jazz 3-4 Mavericks
Blazers 4-1 Nuggets
Spurs 2-4 Rockets
Celtics 4-2 Heat
Bulls 0-4 Nets
Magic 4-2 76ers
Cavaliers 4-1 Pacers

Conference Semis

Lakers 4-3 Mavericks
Blazers 4-2 Rockets
Celtics 3-4 Nets
Cavaliers 2-4 Magic

Conference Finals

Lakers 4-3 Blazers
Magic 4-2 Nets

NBA Finals

Lakers 4-2 Magic
Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant

Draft Lottery Results

1. Clippers (2)
2. Grizzlies (3)
3. Suns (6)
4. Wizards (1)
5. Warriors (4)
6. Thunder (5)
7. Wolves (7)
8. Hawks (8)
9. Pistons (9)
10. Bucks (10)
11. Bobcats (11)
12. Knicks (12)
13. Kings (13)
14. Raptors (14)

by **Valor** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:23 pm

love that stuff man
with the 5th pick you should be able to get a decent prospect, although that depends on which type of player you need.

good luck in the off-season (Y)

by **Lamrock** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:26 pm

Thanks Valor. I think I'm going to start the association with some player workouts. The Warriors need a point guard and I have real draftees.

by **Valor** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:43 pm

Lamrock wrote:Thanks Valor. I think I'm going to start the association with some player workouts. The Warriors need a point guard and I have real draftees.

ah, point guard, you are in luck then

Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Jrue Holiday, Eric Maynor are a few of the top pg prospects this season, wonder which one would end up on your team? either way, have fun with the workouts, it's a pretty fun process

by **jonthefon** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 7:59 pm

Brandon Jennings or Jrue Holiday are probably the best options at PG at #7. Hell, I like Jeff Teague a lot but he might be a reach, but I think he'd be as fun as hell to play with (really explosive, developing three-point shot). Earl Clark too, but Anthony Randolph is going to be a beast.

by **Valor** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:49 pm

jonthefon wrote:Brandon Jennings or Jrue Holiday are probably the best options at PG at #7. Hell, I like Jeff Teague a lot but he might be a reach, but I think he'd be as fun as hell to play with (really explosive, developing three-point shot). Earl Clark too, but Anthony Randolph is going to be a beast.

he got the 5th pick, not the 7th lol

by **Martti.** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:33 pm

Looking around here with a many doing this years draft, a lot of good guys should be available at #5. Jennings should fit your style. If he's taken, go with Lawson

by **Sit** on Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:52 pm

Take Jennings. If not, select Patty Mills! He's the third best PG out of all the PGs... he's way underrated man!

by **Martti.** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 12:29 am

Sit, forgot about him. Because of him, the USA-Australia game in the Olympics was pretty much even at halftime. Damn he's quick.

by **Sit** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:11 am

He's as quick or maybe quicker than Chris Paul.

If he can learn to finish or shoot or pass willingly... then he could turn into quite a good NBA player. I've heard he was looking for his shot a bit too much in the recent Eurocamp All-star Game. It was a good time for him to show he could be a playmaker but he wasted that opportunity... but he still scored 30 points.

by **C-77** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:19 am

I agree Patty Mills is underrated in this draft,his stats are above average,i think he'll be the steal in this draft

by **Lamrock** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 4:19 am

Chris Cohan Sells Warriors to Charles Barkley

Oakland, CA; June 19, 2009 - In an ironic turn of events, former NBA superstar and Emmy-Award winning color commentator Charles Barkley has purchased the Golden State Warriors from businessman Chris Cohan. Barkley, 46, continually dissed the Warriors during their "We Believe" playoff run, and became one of the most hated figures in the Bay Area. Now replacing the perennially reviled Chris Cohan, Barkley could be the savior Warriors fans have been waiting fifteen years for.

Cohan purchased the Warriors in 1994. Golden State was coming off a 50 win season when he arrived, but have only made the postseason once in his fifteen year tenure. During the 2000 NBA All-Star game set in the Warriors' Oracle Arena, Cohan was booed at halftime. #1 Warriors blog "Golden State of Mind" consistently badmouths Cohan, as does #2 Warriors Blog, "The Warrior Zone".

Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed. An official press conference has been scheduled to officially announce the transaction. The new ownership likely means the end of Chris Mullin as General Manager. The frontrunner for the position is likely Liam Washburn, former Atlanta Hawks GM. Barkley's ownership brings in a new era for the Golden State Warriors. It should be a very interesting year in the bay area.

by **Hedonist** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 5:00 am

Ha Sir Charles! lol He's giving up on his political career huh?

Btw you have a typo in the final standings of the season; 2x Western Conference.

Pretty realistic results.. the NBA finals correct, perhaps in 6 & Magic beat Cavs in 6 as well & Lakers beat Nuggets in 6.

Good luck! (Y)

by **33_ALLDAY_33** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:00 am

NOOOO! How could you!?! Lol, if this was real I'd hate to be Barkely showing up to the home games lol. Nice twist to the association.

by **Lamrock** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:17 pm

The Warrior Zone wrote:|---THE WARRIOR ZONE---|

Golden State Warriors: Under New Management

Posted June 20, 2009, 6:54 PM - You'd think the day Chris Cohan sold the Warriors would be a joyous one among Warriors fans. Sadly, next to Cohan himself and James Dolan, we got the worst case scenario. Charles fucking Barkley. Public enemy #1 during the "We Believe" era, Barkley has always been a nemesis of the Warrior faithful. Why he decided to acquire the ownership is beyond me.

However, anything is better than Cohan the destroyer, and the replacement of Chris Mullin with Liam Washburn is an exciting one. While Mullin constructed the "We Believe" team, he also spearheaded the Patrick O'Bryant drafting, the Harrington-for-Crawford trade and the Corey Maggette signing. Liam did a fantastic job during his tenure with the Hawks, ending the NBA's longest running playoff drought and making them an exciting young up-and-coming team. (though injuries ruined this last season)

Warriors, meet your new owner!

The caveat with Washburn is that he left the Hawks due to their incompetence as a franchise and feuds with ownership. Now hes going to work for the WARRIORS. With respect to the Clippers, the Warriors are the gold standard for mismanaged NBA teams. The new Barkley ownership might fix this but... Despite this, Liam seems like a great guy and should be an excellent GM. I personally have high hopes. Knock on wood, it could be time to get excited about Warriors basketball again.

The draft is coming up fast, and with his one first-round pick during his Hawks tenure, Washburn selected Al Horford, who would go on to be the best rookie of the year (but get robbed of the award) in 2008. The Warriors need a point guard due to Monta Ellis being dumb as a brick and Marcus Williams and CJ Watson being terrible. They're in luck, as it is the best point guard draft since the CP3, D-Will class. If we do something stupid like draft BJ Mullens, I'll quit. For good this time. I mean it.

But with Washburn at the helm, this shouldn't happen. With Cohan out, we could see playoff basketball return to the Bay Area as soon at this season. Again, knock on wood. At the same time, the Warriors could suffer another 50+ loss year.

by **33_ALLDAY_33** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:22 pm

LMAO. Nice article and picture of Barkley. had me dying when I saw the mug-shot. Keep up the good work man (Y)

by **Sit** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:33 pm

Can't wait to see what GM Washburn can do with this team!

by **Valor** on Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:58 pm

haha nice one with Chuck taking over as the Owner

go GM Washburn

YouTube · by **Thierry •** on Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:58 am

Loving the comic and the Barkley mugshot

by **Chaser7** on Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:34 pm

guys he can't have rubio or jennings this is NBA 2k9, it doesn't have real draft classes, right Lamrock?

by **Lamrock** on Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:42 pm

Sit, They are pretty solid, but don't have any all-star caliber players (though Biedrins, Ellis and Randolph are developing). Hopefully I can have a good offseason.

Valor, Thanks!

thierryhenry50, Good to hear. Thanks for following.

Chaser7, There is a feature where you can edit the draft prospects. Its a pain in the ass, but you can change their name, attributes and height.

by **Lamrock** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:42 pm

The Warrior Zone wrote:|---THE WARRIOR ZONE---|

2009 Warriors Draft Workouts

Posted June 23, 2009, 5:37 PM - With the draft just two days away, The Warrior Zone managed to obtain the results from the pre-draft workouts held. 8 players were brought in: Ricky Rubio, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, Stephen Curry. Tyreke Evans, B.J. Mullens, Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill. Rubio and Harden were the most impressive, while Evans, Hill and Mullens looked like busts in the making. Below are the results of the workouts.

Workout 1: Ricky Rubio vs. Marcus Williams: Spanish point guard prodigy Ricky Rubio matched up against backup point guard Marcus Williams. Williams, being a fellow point guard could be fighting for his position on the roster. Williams got off to an excellent start, hitting a pair of long balls to take a 5-3 lead early on. Rubio then kicked it in to high gear, playing lockdown defense and even hitting a couple from long range itself. Rubio ended up winning the game 11-6, recording 4 steals and going 2-4 from 3pt range, showing improvement in his much criticized outside game. Rubio 11, Williams 6 - NBA comparison: Steve Nash/Gary Payton

Workout 2: James Harden Vs. Marco Belinelli: Marco Belinelli has been a disappointment, being considered a bit of a bust. Despite that, the Warriors believe he can still be a solid backup, and is a great shot. Harden destroyed the Italian swingman, exposing his lack of defense. Belinelli hit a pair of long balls, but was stopped from doing anything else. On the other end, Harden was able to score at will, and won 11-4. Harden 11, Belinelli 4 - NBA Comparison: Manu Ginobili

Workout 3: Jrue Holiday Vs. C.J. Watson: We put combo guard Jrue Holiday up against third string point guard CJ Watson. We had expected Holiday to win rather easily, but it was actually a very long game. Holiday, who had been climbing up draft boards with impressive workouts, had a tough time with Watson. Holiday scored the first five points of the match, but Watson answered with 4 straight of his own. They would then go on to trade baskets, and Holiday won 11-9. His inability to prevent Watson from answering all of his scores was a disappointment, but overall, a decent workout, as he defeated Watson. Holiday 11, Watson 9 - NBA Comparison: Delonte West

Workout 4: Stephen Curry vs. Marcus Williams: Marcus Williams was once again matched up in a workout, this time against Davidson combo guard Stephen Curry. Curry started out very impressive, nailing all of his shots en route to an early 7-2 lead. However, Williams got back into the game with solid defense, and shrunk the lead to 9-8, before hitting a long 2. Curry answered right back with a two of his own. With win by two rules in affect, Williams was able to tie the game at 11. Curry responded with an easy layup. Williams hit a 2 off the check to get the lead. A stop led to a Marcus Williams game winning dunk. Williams 14, Curry 12 - NBA comparison: Jason Terry

Workout 5: Tyreke Evans vs. Anthony Morrow: More like "I reek" Evans. This guy was bad. We put undrafted rookie Anthony Morrow against him, expecting Evans to win. However, he hit none of his shots, and played very little defense. From the outset it looked like he would be perfect for Nellieball. However, he ended up losing 11-3, with Morrow hitting all 4 shots from three-point range. Morrow 11, Evans 3 - NBA Comparison: Larry Hughes (post 2005)

Workout 6: BJ Mullens Vs. Brandan Wright: Mullens was pit against bust Brandan Wright. Mullens was brought in as a potential second round pick or trade down selection. However, he made glass man Brandan Wright look like a lottery pick. He didn't play defense, and only managed to score on Wright once. Horrible. Wright 11, Mullens 1 - NBA Comparison: Patrick O'Bryant

Workout 7: Chase Budinger Vs. Anthony Morrow: Slipping Chase Budinger could fall into the second round, so the Warriors decided to bring him in, seeing him as a possible steal. He didn't disappoint, outperforming Tyreke Evans to actually defeat Morrow 11-8. Morrow's shot was off, and Budinger took advantage. Budinger wasn't too impressive on D, but looked like he could become a good shooter off the bench in this league. Budinger 11, Morrow 8 - NBA Comparison: Kyle Korver

Workout 8: Jordan Hill Vs. Anthony Randolph Hill, perhaps unfairly, was matched up against combo forward Anthony Randolph. Randolph destroyed Hill. Hill, sans dreads, was killed on the boards, couldn't stop Randolph from constantly dunking on him, and lost 11-2. No chance he gets picked by Golden State, unless he slips to the second round. Randolph 11, Hill 2 - NBA comparison: Brandan Wright

Workout Rankings:

1. Ricky Rubio - He will probably go before #5, but if not, the Warriors will definitely pick him up. He would be their answer at the point for years to go, and maybe even their franchise player.
2. James Harden - As impressive as Rubio. If available and Rubio isn't, Warriors take him. However, he is a shooting guard, which Golden State has far too many of.
3. Jrue Holiday - A little disappointing. Will likely be gone as the Suns seem enamored with him, but the Warriors would actually see him as a stretch at 5.
4. Chase Budinger - If he is available at 34, the Warriors will pick him up without a second thought. Budinger exceeded expectations and should make a living in this league as a shooter.
5. Stephen Curry - One-dimensional scorer that can't play D. Not terrible, but he is too much of a stretch at 5.
6. Jordan Hill - He had the stiffest competition, but he was still bad. No dreads either. No reason to take him unless he slides to 34 and Budinger is taken.
7. Tyreke Evans - An even shittier version of Larry Hughes. Evans will not be a Warrior.
8. B.J. Mullens - There is talk of him moving into the lottery. The Warriors wouldn't take him at 34. Just horrible.

by **Sit** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:04 pm

Good workout article! Loved it!

Draft Rubio! (Y)

by **33_ALLDAY_33** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:18 pm

Great update man. Rubio seems like the best pick if he's available to you. The Warriors really need a pure point guard who can past first- unlike Monta Ellis. Lol Good luck this season man. (Y)

by **Lamrock** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:19 pm

Sit, I wanted to have pictures for them like The X had, but oh well. Hopefully I can get Rubio. Hes my favorite player of this draft class.

33_ALLDAY_33, Thanks! Rubio would be a fantastic fit.

by **The X** on Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:00 pm

Am watching. Always love the draft action, don't let me down

YouTube · by **Thierry •** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:59 am

Nice article man, Rubio seems to be the perfect fit for your squad. (Y)

by **Lamrock** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:47 am

7 Players Move, Warriors Jump To #2 In Draft in Three Team Blockbuster

Oakland, CA; June 24, 2009 - The night before the draft, the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves have made a trade that will move seven players and three draft picks. Golden State is trading for the future, acquiring expiring contracts and moving up in the draft. Memphis is stocking up on young talent. Minnesota is setting up for a playoff run by acquiring veteran backcourt help.

The Warriors will recieve expiring contracts Darko Milicic and Brian Cardinal from the Grizzlies and Timberwolves respectively, and will send combo guard Jamal Crawford to Minnesota, and young talents Brandan Wright and Kelenna Azubuike to Memphis. Additionally, they will swap picks with the Grizzlies, moving up from #5 to #2. The move accomplishes three things for the Bay Area's team: allows them to draft Ricky Rubio, who apparently blew Warriors' scouts away in his workout; clears up cap space for 2010 and/or resigning their young talent; and finally helps clear up logjams in the congested SG and PF positions. While they lose out on some talent, and will have less instant offense on their roster, this trade works very well for the Warriors.

The Memphis Grizzlies move down in the draft with the trade, but with the backcourt shored up with Mike Conley and OJ Mayo, the #2 pick isn't a huge loss. In the trade, they earned lottery caliber prospects in swingman Kelenna Azubuike and Brandan Wright. Azubuike should be one of the premiere sixth men in the league, backing up OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay, while Wright could be their answer at the power forward position. In addition, they received scrub expiring big man Mark Madsen to balance out the salaries, along with Minnesota's 2010 second rounder. Madsen is expected to be waived. This trade improves Memphis's depth and gets them a great deal for a pick that would have otherwise gone to waste. Memphis improves in both the short and long term.

#2
#5

Minnesota, the forgotten team in this trade, made an odd decision here. Despite missing the playoffs by eight games last season, the Timberwolves are developing a "win now" attitude. At the mere cost of expirings Brian Cardinal and Mark Madsen and a 2010 second rounder, the Wolves acquire combo guard Jamal Crawford. Crawford was unpopular during his Warriors run, but is still a talented player who can put up 20 points every single night. Additionally, they acquire Iranian scrub center Hamed Haddadi from the Grizzlies. The Timberwolves get another scoring punch. There is a concern about having a very similar player next to him in Randy Foye, but he is a far better option at the 1 than Sebastian Telfair.

Overall, the trade works for all three teams. Memphis and Golden State both improve in the present and in the future, while Minnesota gets another scorer to help end the league's longest playoff drought. In the NBA, anything could happen. This trade looks like a rare one that is mutually beneficial to all team involved.

Golden State trade grade: A
Memphis trade grade: A-
Minnesota trade grade: B-

by **Valor** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:19 pm

woo, nice trade man, i hate Milicic and Cardinal, but their contracts are a good thing for you next season. Now that you have the 2nd overall pick Rubio is a lock, unless he gets drafted 1st over Blake Griffin...which i don't think is going to happen

great job man, looking forward to the draft! (Y)

by **Lamrock** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:33 pm

I can understand the Cardinal hate, but Darko?! Who could hate Darko? I think I'll keep him around even after he expires. He should be an excellent backup for Biedrins.

Griffin's overall is about 5 points higher than anyone else in the draft. No way he slips. Clippers might take Thabeet though, hoping for the next Olowokandi...

YouTube · by **Thierry •** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:47 pm

Great trade, will free some cap space later and you will be able to draft Rubio (Y)

by **33_ALLDAY_33** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:28 pm

Sweet trade man. Rubio is yours forsure. Maybe now you can have the Warriors run a more NBA style of play rather than there run n gun offense now that Rubio is there playmaker.

Can't wait to see more.

BTW, Brandon Wrights picture is too funny to be posted up LMAO!

by **jonthefon** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:15 pm

Nice little trade. Looks like you're going to give Anthony Randolph the opportunity to really flourish and why not? Kid's a true, true stud.

I think clearing out the swingmen you have was a good idea. I'm not high on Rubio, but that won't matter too much in that Nellieball system.

Just thinking: the Warriors are very deep even if they lack an All-Star. Rubio, Ellis, Jackson, Randolph, Biedrins, Morrow, Belinelli, CJ Watson, Turiaf, Darko could all be rotation guys though obviously Darko and Cardinal is a downgrade on the bench next to Buike and Wright.

by **Sit** on Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:21 pm

Can't wait to see what other big moves you have up your sleeve Mr GM

Whatever you do, I hope you give Rubio a chance to start and become an All-Star!

by **Lamrock** on Fri Jun 19, 2009 2:34 am

thierryhenry50, Thanks, I think it was pretty fair too.

33_ALLDAY_33, Well, its still Nellieball. Rubio is Nash-esque, so a run-and-gun offense will still be in place. Wright's picture is kinda funny.

jonthefon, Here's hoping Anthony Randolph, Monta Ellis and with time, Ricky Rubio become all-stars. I still make Maggette off the bench too. Thanks for checking in.

Sit, We'll see. I think I'll develop Rubio realistically and have him come off the bench in his rookie season, but his minutes will constantly increasing.

by **homicide1550** on Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:24 am

Great job acquiring the second pick.. And I do believe Darko will be a good backup center for your team..

by **magician** on Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:01 am

nice trade ! i cant wait for the draftnight

good luck

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