Thanks for posting this dj fuzzy logic.

words cannot really fully describe how i felt when i found out that jason richardson had been traded ... it was like losing a close friend ... jrich bled warriors blue and gold ... jrich REPPED the warriors HARD wen the warriors sucked HARD ... jrich embodies and will forever embody what us warriors fans appreciate ... blood sweat and tears ... not once did he DEMAND a trade not once did he bitch or moan about the crappy situation that warriors had been in since forever ... losing jrich is just hard to swallow ...

i figured the warriors would make trades this offseason to improve as they had glaring wholes in what was a great playoff run, they needed to get bigger and stronger and improve on D ... did i ever figure it to be JRICH? not entirely ... there many rumors on websites and blogs and JRICH, MONTA being the two stars in those rumors ... i agree that the warriors need to do something but to trade your #2 star for an unproven talent ... for someone with "potential" to me doesn't add up ... i would have been more comfortable with trading monta as we saw him not step up in the playoffs after having a break out year ... i see monta as an incredible talent with great offensive skills and the potential to be a good defender ... but he is a tweener in size ... he plays like a 2 guard but isnt big enough ... his size is like a point guard but he's a scorer not a facilitator ... sOo i thought he was expandable than jrich ... JRICH too meeh would only be expendable if you brought in a seasoned proven veteran .... in my eyes only in a KG (kevin garnett) package

i cant speak on the talent in the draft as i did not follow college basketball in depth enough to really speak on any of the talents in the draft. so i dont really know how brandan wright is ... i do know he came out as a freshman (ahh) making him 19 (ahh) ... he's 6-10 with 7-5 wingspan (ok) but only 210 pounds (AHHH WTF?!?!) this guy is supposed to bang with boozer? duncan? yao? amare?

i think what most warrior fans are shocked @ is that we traded jrich for brandan wright and not YI ... the warriors and bobcats had this trade in place before the draft started (pretty good to keep in under wraps from the ESPN reporters and analysts) so essentially the bobcats were picking for the warriors ... i think the warriors were expecting Yi to be available @ #8 ... Yi expressed that he did not want to play in Milwaukee as their market is to small and their asian community is lacking to say the least ... it'll be interesting to see how that plays out ...

anyways i really hope that this trade is just part of a bigger plan ... for KG ... because with all the mixed reviews from analysts and how much JRICH meant to the team, organization and more importantly the fans ... if brandan wright is here to stay he will be under the biggest microscope ever from the fans as that love for JRICH will harp on brandan wright if he doesnt show promise and pan out to be the "#3 talent" in this draft.

if in the end this helps us get kevin garnett ... then i will bow down to you mr. CHRIS Mullin ... but until then

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!

this offseason will be interesting ....

peace

THE WRIGHT MOVE
Warriors send Richardson to Charlotte for No. 8 pick, set stage for more deals

Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, June 29, 2007




In one of the most memorable draft nights in franchise history, the Warriors ended the Jason Richardson era in Oakland, added a promising power forward in Brandan Wright and set the stage for other potential moves to be made this summer.

Golden State sent Richardson, long considered its emotional heart, to the Bobcats on Thursday in exchange for the rights to North Carolina's Wright. The Warriors also drafted shooting guard Marco Belinelli of Italy at No. 18 and UMass forward Stephane Lasme at No. 46, while sending 36th pick Jermareo Davidson to Charlotte as part of the Richardson trade.

"It was a long, busy day," Warriors vice president Chris Mullin said. "But we made some big moves and it's really going to help improve the team."

Another big move, however, could still be coming. Because the Warriors also netted a $10 million trade exception from the Bobcats, they now become a major player in this summer's trade market. The Warriors now have the ability to absorb contracts up to $10 million while offering a team instant financial relief.

But first, the Warriors had to rearrange their own roster. Mullin, who acknowledged speaking to Minnesota this week presumably about Kevin Garnett, did that Thursday by dealing away Richardson for Wright, despite insisting that the popular sixth-year guard would not be moved.

The Warriors had floated Richardson's name in trade talks with other teams, and Mullin said Thursday that the chance to pick up Wright, a 6-foot-10 forward he believes is tailor-made for coach Don Nelson's system, was simply too much to pass up.

"I'll miss Jason of course," Mullin said. "He's one of my favorite guys, my favorite players. It's a hard thing to see him go. But when you need to improve your team, sometimes you got to make tough decisions."

In Wright, the Warriors get one of the most highly regarded power forwards in the draft. The slender 19-year-old averaged 14.7 points and shot 64.6 percent in his only season at North Carolina.

Wright is known for his ability to run the floor, as well as his rebounding and help defense -- both areas the Warriors have been critically lacking in. Mullin said he had been targeting Wright all along, preferring him to Chinese forward Yi Jianlian, whom Golden State was roundly believed to be coveting.

Yi, though, was just a smokescreen, and once the haze cleared, Richardson was gone, and Mullin insisted Wright was here to stay.

"We think he's potentially a star," Mullin said.

"I think I fit in great," Wright added. "They like to use a lot of fours, a lot of pieces. I'm excited about this situation."

Not to be overlooked is the huge financial relief the Warriors receive by trading Richardson, who was owed $50 million over the next four years. Because Charlotte is under the salary cap, Golden State was able to make the deal without taking back the equivalent of Richardson's $10 million salary for this season.

Instead, the Warriors netted a trade exception worth that amount they can now use in future trades for the next year without sending back any players. (Under league rules, salaries in any deal must come within 25 percent of each other unless a team has cap space.) They also dropped significantly below the luxury tax level, giving the Warriors added flexibility in the trade market.

Whether that means they can go after a player of Garnett's stature -- and salary -- while using the exception remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, with their own No. 18 pick, the Warriors selected Belinelli to add another scorer to their backcourt. The 6-6 guard, known for his athleticism and shooting ability, averaged 16.4 points and a .544 field goal percentage for Climamio Bologna this past season. The fifth-year pro also posted 12.9 points per game in Euroleague competition.

Mullin raved about Belinelli's ability to knock down shots and said the 21-year-old had "a good feel for the game" both offensively and defensively.

"He's a young shooter, slasher, scorer, and athletic guy I've watched for a few years," Mullin said. "He's going to fit our system perfect. He's another guy to go out there and put the ball in the basket."
Newest Warriors

-- Brandan Wright

Age: 19

Height: 6-10

Weight: 200

Position: Forward

Comment: Wright was the No. 8 pick by the Bobcats who was acquired for Jason Richardson and the rights to No. 36 pick Jermareo Davidson. He averaged 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game as a freshman at North Carolina.

-- Marco Belinelli

Age: 21

Height: 6-6

Weight: 200

Position: Guard

Comment: Belinelli is known for his shooting and scoring ability. The sixth-year pro averaged 16.4 points per game for Italian club Climamio Bologna this past season, and 12.9 points per game during Euroleague play.

-- Stephane Lasme

Age: 24

Height: 6-7

Weight: 213

Position: Forward

Comment: The Atlantic 10 Player of the Year averaged 13.5 points last season for UMass. Lasme, considered a rangy shot-blocker who runs the floor well, also spent three seasons playing for the Gabon National Team.
Recent picks

2000: Chris Porter (2nd record, 55th overall)

2001: Jason Richardson (1,5); Troy Murphy (1,14); Gilbert Arenas (2,31)

2002: Mike Dunleavy (1,3); Steve Logan (2, 30)

2003: Mickael Pietrus (1,11); Derrick Zimmerman (2, 40)

2004: Andris Biedrins (1, 11)

2005: Ike Diogu (1,9); Monta Ellis (2, 40); Chris Taft (2, 42)

2006: Patrick O'Bryant (1,9); Kosta Perovic (2,38)

2007: Marco Belinelli (1,18): Jermareo Davidson (2, 36); Stephane Lasme (2, 46)

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/05/17/SPG6NPS22N20.DTL
by Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer



As soon as the Warriors were done shocking the world, it was coach Don Nelson's turn to shock his players. The man who led Golden State's historic playoff run said Wednesday that he isn't sure whether he'll return for a second season or make a second run at retirement.

"I'm kind of anticipating coming back, but I'm not sure," said Nelson, who turned 67 on Tuesday. "It's just whether I want to put my body and mind through another tough year or two. That would be the main issue."

The once-retired coach plans to retreat to Maui on Friday with his wife, Joy, and decompress after a roller-coaster season in which the Warriors rallied from irrelevance into the best story line of the postseason.

Nelson will see the Warriors at least through the draft -- though he's skipping the league's official predraft camp in Orlando -- and hopes to reach a decision by July 1, when free agency begins.

"I think it was really important that I came here. I'm not so sure it's important that I stay," said Nelson, who has two years and $6.2 million left on his contract. "This is wonderful, but it's hard."

The words came as a surprise to his players, who arrived at the team's practice facility expecting to clean out lockers and divvy up playoff shares, only to hear that their coach might not be back next season.

"I couldn't believe that," Stephen Jackson said. "It's shocking to me, but hopefully it's just the way he feels right now. Hopefully, by the time the season starts, he'll be on the bench."

Can the Warriors imagine life without Nellie?

"No, I can't," Jason Richardson said.

"I don't even want to," Jackson said. "This style of game, playing so free and having so much fun, I think we need to continue to build on that with the same guys that started it this year. It's going to be frustrating if we come back next year and things are not the same."

"I don't know if the guys would like that," Baron Davis added.

After falling nine games below .500 because of injuries and an overhauled roster, Nelson rallied the Warriors to a 42-40 finish and their first playoff berth in 13 years. Golden State then ousted No. 1-seeded Dallas in the first round before its run ended with a 4-1 loss to the Jazz in the series that ended Tuesday night.

Though Nelson netted an extra $2 million in bonuses for the Warriors' extended season, the time also took its toll on his body and mind. The coach came to training camp in October looking tanned and refreshed after a full year's sabbatical, but says he has gained about 15 pounds since then and has had trouble sleeping.

Davis credits Nelson with returning him to his All-Star stature and said he would stand behind whatever decision his coach makes. There's no question about his preference.

"I hope and pray that coach does come back," said Davis. "We love him here. He's the reason why we made the playoffs, the reason why a lot of guys are happy and excited about basketball."

Nelson isn't ready to commit to another season, but is planning to bring back his entire staff. Assistants Keith Smart and Russell Turner are in the final year of their contracts. Stephen Silas has one year left and top aide Larry Riley has two more. Riley, who followed Nelson from Dallas, said that he likely will return even if Nelson does not.

Nelson has made no secret of his desire to groom Smart as his successor -- similar to his mentoring of Avery Johnson with the Mavericks -- but it's unclear whether the Warriors believe Smart is ready to take over a team.

Smart, who was the interim head coach in Cleveland after John Lucas was fired in 2003, only echoed the wishes that Nelson would return for at least another season.

"I want to continue to learn from him, so whatever happens, happens," Smart said. "But I just love being around him."

Warriors executive vice president Chris Mullin was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but after tailoring his roster to Nelson's brand of small ball, he'll be in for a long and busy summer if his coach retires into the Hawaiian sunset again.

"We got the ship turned around and headed in the right direction, but there's more work to do," Nelson said. "We have an exciting and pretty good team and to take the next step, you just have to keep working and keep improving and that's what Mully is all about."

E-mail Janny Hu at jhu@sfchronicle.com.