Sure it is early in the 2010-11 NBA Campaign, and many people will immediately dismiss the Golden State Warriors 4-1 record over the first 5 games as a fluke. Many more people will easily find the label “fluke” justifiable.

Hardcore basketball heads certainly must find it peculiar that Dorell Wright is playing and contributing as a starting power forward in the NBA. Maybe it is the new uniforms, or the new ownership, or heck, even the new coach Keith Smart?

In fact, there are so many ways to generate excuses to justify that the Warriors are not supposed to be good that one could simply overlook that they have one of the best records in basketball, and currently only rank behind the Los Angeles Lakers for tops in the Pacific Division.

Conventional basketball wisdom dictates that a 5 game sample size is far too small to accurately determine whether or not the Warriors will continue on this path of success. After all, there are 82 games, injuries, and all sorts of streaks that can or cannot occur that will impact winning and losing. Rest assured, it inevitably happens.

But one thing we can all take notice to is that this team is bursting forward out of the rumble and debris caused from the collapse of the Don Nelson regime. These Warriors are playing defense. It might not be otherworldly defense, but the institution of any defense at all is a huge departure from “Nellie Ball” and will help favor the odds of the Warriors continuing to do well.

Another thing to look at about these Warriors is the starting unit. David Lee, Dorell Wright and Biedrins are pretty much new to the chemistry of new look Warriors. I included Biedrins in this group because last year he was anything but himself (other than his crappy free throw shooting) and thus could not really formulate into any sort of chemistry development with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis.

Ellis and Curry have been monsters out of the gate. Even though Curry has been dealing with a ankle sprain, the Warriors guard tandem has amassed averages of 48.9 points, 12.9 assists, and 4.3 steals. The Warriors are winning even though Ellis is still playing his selfish style that normally hinders winning. It is scary enough to make one contemplate dispelling the fluke label when you think about it in those terms.

Also, Lee and Wright are delivering a strong combined total of 30.0 points, 17.6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the forward slots.

With consistency brewing from the guards and forwards, life becomes easier for Biedrins to simply focus on rebounds and blocking shots. If Biedrins can say healthy, contribute as a solid defensive presence in the paint, and of course, avoid the foul line, the Warriors starting unit is capable to compete with any team on any given night.

Until the sample size of the season increases, it remains to be seen how the Warriors bench will impact the team so that the starters can remain fresh enough to perform well over 82 games.

If the bench can augment and support the team with contributions from defensive-minded vets Charlie Bell, Louis Amundson, Dan Gadzuric, Rodney Carney while also having some energy injected into it by Brandan Wright and this years lottery pick Ekpe Udoh, the Warriors might be able to contend for a playoff spot this season.

The Golden State Warriors have a new look, new ownership, and added a few new faces after clearing roster space to acquire David Lee via a sign and trade deal with the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, some of the Warriors misfortunes have followed them into the new look era. 

Ekpe Udoh, the number 6 overall draft selection in the 2010 NBA Draft has injured his wrist, becoming yet another Warriors draftee being injured. He is not expected back for at least 6 months. So the 6^th pick is injured for 6 months? What an unfortunate coincidence. 

Meanwhile, Greg Monroe has used his opportunities this summer to awe with his post and passing skills.  Oh yeah, he is healthy too. Hard to think about how the Warriors passed on his talents when they are relying on Andris Beidrins to hold down the middle. 

The biggest loss for the Warriors will be Anthony Randolph. Sure Don Nelson had zero faith in him, but when the kid played, he played hard. Sure he made mistakes, but it is hard to argue anyone in the league plays as hard as Randolph does. 

Randolph is now destined to follow the path of many ex-Warriors who will develop into NBA all Stars and have great success with a new team. Maybe he will be the latest ex-Warrior to deliver New York success a la Latrell Sprewell.  He is too multidimensional not to excel under a nurturing and understanding coach like Mike D’Antoni. 

The Warriors gave up a lot to get Lee.

Will Don Nelson be sacked? Let’s all hope so. Watching him coach has been nothing less than absolute torturous the past few seasons. It worsened once the league official informed him he could not be soused during his post game press conferences.  

Nelson has influenced too many bad personnel moves, the most recent including the banishment of Randolph. Rather than trade Randolph when he could have gotten higher value last year, he places him in the doghouse and lowers his value. Typical Warriors of old. 

To be fair, David Lee stands to benefit within the Warriors system, especially when you pair Lee with a backcourt containing Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. 

Lee is be a beast on the boards and can flat out fill the lane on the break. This looks to be a match made in heaven. I still cannot condone giving up Randolph. He is far too promising and young to let go. 

If Biedrins shows up and avoids getting to the free throw line, the Warriors could have some serious rebounding on both ends of the glass. 

But with Ekpe already down, and with Brandon Wright with a separated shoulder away from joining him on the sidelines, what will the Warriors be able to do to in order to avoid over-exhausting their stars before the All Star break? 

Every once in awhile we hear die hard sports fans making sport analogies crossing over multiple sports, somehow attempting to link a touchdown comparatively to a grand slam, or a no-hitter to a perfect score in bowling. You know what I am talking about, right?

The point is, these stretch-of-the-imagination comparisons of sports apples and oranges rarely achieve a common ground that is truly tangible for any sensible reason, other than some random chit chat over a few drinks at the local sports bar.

That was until I was watching Inside the NBA on TNT tonight. The common ground has officially been established.

Inside the NBA made the perfect two-sport-crossover analogy comparing Charles Barkley’s infamously horrible golf swing to the nightmarish and ghastly free throw stroke of Andris Biedrins of the Golden State Warriors.

Prelude to a golfing disaster. (Credit: picapp.com)

Charles Barkley is quite possibly the world’s worst golfer. Period. Even with the help of the Tiger Woods’ coach, Hank Haney, Charles failed miserably while attempting to correct and refine his golf game.

He is as unreachable as a pupil and his golfing goals are simply unattainable. However, it did make for some highly entertaining television. The harsh truth is Charles Barkley will never succeed at golf. End of story.

Look at the fear in his eyes. (Credit: picapp.com)

Andris Biedrins has always been a rancid free throw shooter. But this season is simply mind blowing. Biedrins took a career average of 51% from the charity stripe into the season.

Befuddled all season by injuries, Biedrins has been extremely “off” in every aspect of his game since returning to the lineup. Namely, his free throw shooting has been garbage.

Biedins currently threatens to destroy the single-season record for lowest free throw percentage in NBA history, replacing Garfield Smith. Biedrins is shooting 13% from the line for the season. Horrid. Strike that, worse than that. Can anything be worse than that?

Barkley and Biedrins are both unsafe from criticism. Biedrins coach, Don Nelson, has openly called him out, accusing him of playing less aggressive because he is downright afraid of being sent to the line.

Barkley’s co-hosts subject him to constant criticism about his horrible golf game, amongst his other fodder like stuttering, gambling, drunk driving. The list goes on. But that is not the point here.

If you watch the video, you will distinctly notice Barkley and Biedrins share the exact type of of hesitancy, hitch, and a horrible “I’m-gonna-make-up-for-my-horrible-form-and-try-to-will-it-correct-at-the-last-second” reflex.

It is so similar that it transcends two-sport analogies to an entirely arcane level.

Watch this video, and you will clearly see the brilliance the TNT segment garners:

The Cleveland Cavaliers are becoming the epicenter of NBA trade talk. While deals are starting to materialize, rumors surrounding Amare Stoudemire, Antawn Jamison, and Corey Maggette are starting to get some legs under them.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Clevleland’s largest trade chip, with his $11.6 million contract. The intention and hope is he will be waived and return to Cleveland in 30 days.

Realistically, does Cleveland need to make a deal? They have the best record in the NBA, after all. Why risk destroying the chemistry that obviously worked well enough to get them here?

Does everyone forget that they annihilated the Lakers back on Christmas day, 102-87? That is great chemistry we are talking about here.

Here is a brief breakdown on what each player potentially represents to the Cavs and their chemistry.

I understand what Amar’e Stoudemire offers Cleveland: Another offensively skilled big man to combat against the Lakers length during a potential 7 grueling games against the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

However, Stoudemire is somewhat of defensive liability, due partially to never having to develop into a good defender because of Phoenix’s offense structure. I consider that a major asterisk.

It is also rumored that Miami is taking the lead in all Stoudemire trade discussions.

Corey Maggette is the worst option for Cleveland. He is the ultimate team chemistry killer. Just watch him play, and you should soon agree.

8 out of 10 times, he puts his head down, and forces his way to the rim to draw fouls. The other 2 out of 10 times, he gets an assist or a turnover. The numbers don’t lie, he averages exactly 2.5 turnovers and 2.5 assists on the season.

You might be thinking, “Gee, what’s wrong with that? Drawing fouls hurts the other team, and gives us free throws!” I concede this to be true, however, it murders overall team motivation when he does it consistently, and looks to pass once he has left himself no other option.But this causes teammates to incur a substantial dip in motivation.

Selfish players kill team chemistry. Just watch a Warriors game once and watch the body language of the other 4 Warriors once Maggette has the ball. A lot of standing and watching going on.

Do you think LeBron would want to stay in Cleveland knowing Maggette is under contract 3 additional years after this season, and after Maggette murdered the team’s chemistry?

Antawn Jamison looks like the best trade prospect for the Cavaliers. His reputation for being a leader and a great teammate precede him. He is the best fit that would not ruffle feathers and is conscious enough to know his role.

He would help Cleveland win 4 more games, according to John Hollinger’s calculations. Jamison is unselfish, a great rebounder, and deadly from downtown, all valuable assets come playoff time.

However, the Wizards will likely seek future draft picks, and some form of youth to dump Jamison and his contract. It is unlikely they will get that from Cleveland.

Which player do you think is the best fit? Take the poll!

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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors had his first career triple double tonight while the Golden State Warriors slaughtered the Los Angeles Clippers, 132-102.

Curry had 36 points, 13 assists and collected his 10th board with 0.2 seconds left, thanks to a selfish shot and brick by Al Thornton. He went 11-22 from the field, 7-11 from downtown, and also had 3 steals.

Curry is taking the lead in the ROY race. (Credit: AP)

Curry is the first rookie to have a 30-10-10 triple double since Kevin Johnson did it in 1988.

The thought that Monta Ellis is completely expendable crossed my mind multiple times during this game. Curry scored his points within the system. He was unselfish, and his 13 assists were obtained with absolutely amazing passes. Ellis is basically somewhat of a black hole once he gets his hands on the rock.

Curry’s performance only reinforces my belief that he will win the Rookie of the Year award. He started the season playing rushed; often playing too fast, or at the wrong speed at the wrong time, but he has now adjusted to the NBA.

He has emerged as the most dangerous player on the Warriors roster, surpassing Ellis because he plays smarter, shoots better and with deeper range, while keeping his teammates involved.

No offense to Tyreke Evans, but Curry heads into February having just won NBA Rookie of the Month honors in January, and his triple double tonight automatically thrusts him into the forefront for winning it again in February. Cury has the momentum in his favor heading into the final half of the season.

Curry’s upcoming appearances in the 3 Point Contest and Rookie Challenge during All Star Weekend will boost his visibility to voters. It is not how you start the race, after all, it is how you finish.

In my opinion, Curry has officially taken over the lead. If he wins the 3 Point Contest, and has a spectacular performance against the sophomores, it might just put him over the top against Evans. Or you could see the first Co-Rookie of the Year since 1995 when Jason Kidd and Grant Hill shared the honors.

I wrote prior the start of this season that I believe Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors will win the NBA Rookie of the Year award this season.

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks gave my prediction the first threat of the year as I watched him drop in 55 points against the Warriors as I was reviewing Curry. At that point, I knew this was not going to be easy for my prediction to come to fruition.

Without question, Tyreke Evans has been the leader in the race for the first 42 games of the season. He is averaging numbers that few do in their first year.

Evans has declined in January, and still continues to hoist threes when it is clear he is not suited to. The return of Kevin Martin is going to grate even further against his numbers, so his productivity will have to take a hit. If not, expect major term oil between the rookie and the veteran.

Curry is a triple double threat lately. (Credit: picapp.com)

If Curry continues capitalizing on Monta Ellis’ absence (due to an ankle injury), he can put himself in contention to eventually take the prize.

With the Warriors scrambling around the NBA Development League in order to dress enough player to qualify to play, there is going to be no shortage of minutes or shots for Curry now.

Evidence of this was on display tonight in Sacramento, where Curry put up 27 points with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals against Tyreke’s Sacramento Kings tonight. Curry had only 1 turnover playing the point guard for 44:42. That is impressive stuff from the kid nobody believed could transition to the point after a career at shooting guard at Davidson College.

Evans, on the other hand, had 23 points on 8-21 shooting, going 0-2 from 3 point range. Compared to Curry, Evans underperformed Curry in every statical category except turnovers. Evans finished with 3 to Curry’s 1.

Stephen Curry seems to have caught up to speed with the pace of the NBA game during January and is averaging 19 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a contest. He is averaging 15 shots per game.

Tyrekes Evans is dropping in 21.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in January.  He is averaging 16.6 shots a game. These are good numbers, but they are on the decline. Again, I reiterate Kevin Martin will be dipping into these numbers as the season progresses.

Curry is clearly the superior shooter to Evans.  Evans has had the green light all year, and manages to continue to shoot the 3 even though he has a 25% success rate for the season.

This could derail Evans later in the season if he cannot learn to control his 3 point shot urges. If he cannot hit the 3 consistently, game plans designed back off of him outside will hurt his chances of driving inside. Hence, less shots, less scoring.

Curry has a lower scoring average than Evans because (1) rookies get treated terribly by Don Nelson and (2) Monta Ellis has trouble giving the ball up once it is in his hands.

No, seriously, watch Ellis when he gets the ball. Of the 5 assists he averages, a lot of them are on bailout passes as he realizes he has taken a team 1 on 5.

Now that Ellis is out, Curry is playing serious ball. If he continues this pace without Ellis, or if one of the many trade rumors surrounding the Warriors lands him or Ellis elsewhere before February 18th, look for Curry to rise right to the top, and breath down Evans’ neck for the Rookie of the Year award.

Evans has been a beast all year, but will he sustain his numbers as the season progresses and teams begin picking him apart with their defensive strategies? Will Kevin Martin start demanding the ball more?

Sunday night the Boston Celtics were handed a loss at the buzzer by a ridiculously clutch fade away shot by Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers. There was not much to say. The Clippers stayed in the fight, and made tough shots before and after Rajon Rondo choked on consecutive free throws with 1.5 seconds left.

Monday night things did not fair much better as the young Golden State Warriors, led by Monta Ellis’ 37-point explosion, took the Celtics down to the wire and winning 103-99. Boston is now on a 2-game losing streak against less than mediocre teams. They have been without Paul Pierce while this streak has occured.

Man, we stink without the Truth! (Credit: picapp.com)

Paul Pierce has been out of the line up since having a procedure to drain fluid from his knee. Evidently, the knee infection is rather serious. The reality is the Celtics are far from good without Pierce.

Boston is having trouble winning without him, and making matters worse, they have dropped 2 games in a row to two teams with losing records. In a situation where one would think a championship caliber team should course-correct after a close loss against the Clippers, the Celtics were unable to find a answer to stop Monta Ellis and his Warriors.

The Clippers team is better on paper than their record would indicate, however, the Warriors simply stink this year.

The Warriors are an abysmal 9-21.

It gets you wondering about whether or not the Celtics can win against quality teams without Pierce. Boston heads to Phoenix for another road game Wednesday.

This is bad news for the Celtics, as The Suns annihilated the Lakers Monday 118-103, and looked incredible while doing so. This is a game the Celtics must be looking at and dreading, based on their current 2 game lull against bottom tiered teams.

Can a healed knee can heal a losing streak? (Credit: picapp.com)

With 4 out of their next 5 games being on the road, Boston needs to get it together, or pray that Paul Pierce returns from his knee surgery without lingering residuals.

They will face Phoenix, Toronto, Miami and Atlanta. All of whom are far better than the Clippers or Warriors on any given night.

Pierce makes this team championship caliber and without him they could not defeat a Warriors team decimated by injuries. Even with Rajon Rondo dropping in 30 points with 15 assists, the Warriors got the better of them. Celtics fans had better hope Pierce comes back soon.

The Golden State Warriors were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, 103-91. How bad are things in the Bay Area? Bad. It is hard to imagine things any worse for Warriors.

Sure you can hack it up to a variety of injuries crippling the Warriors depth. Yes they are an extremely young team. There was also the Stephen Jackson shake up with trade demands.

Trading the talented Randolph will cripple the Warriors long term. (Credit: picapp.com)

The Warriors are 7-17. They are rumored to be shopping Anthony Randolph, a player whose progress they are displeased by this season. This would be the worst move Golden State can make.

No one plays harder or with more hustle than Randolph. He oozes superstar potential.

Perhaps, with the playoffs already out of sight, the Warriors should start their younger prospects together and develop their skills for the future. When Randolph starts and plays big minutes he has proven he can be effective. With another lottery pick on the way, give the kids the minutes, and ship out the veterans who want out.

You can expect off nights while the kids grow up on the court, but the Warriors can afford to do this since they are already 7-17.

Perhaps Keith Smart should resume coaching duties, with Nelson sticking to the decisions made behind the scenes. The Warriors clearly played with more intensity with Smart making the calls.

Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and Randolph are the future for the Warriors. Trading any of these guys will be the biggest mistake in franchise history since the Chris Webber trade. If Don Nelson and management have any common sense, they will give Randolph more minutes, and continue to develop the core of him, Ellis, and Curry.

This is the best shot they have at a future. Period. Let Monta be the dominant player he is, and let the kids learn to play together. Sound simple enough, right?

Ellis is the cornerstone of the Warriors future. (Credit:picapp.com)

If they trade Randolph away the Warriors will once again prove without a doubt that they are more concerned with making money than winning.

As loyal as Warriors fans are, they can only take so much before they cease their allegiance.

Update: due to a reader misconstruing the real meaning of this post, we updated the picture to clarify things so even a kindergartner can understand.

Disclaimer: All images, likenesses, are done for fun, and are not to be taken literally, and are in no shape form or fashion meant to be insulting to any belief, religion, or anything in between.

Stephen Jackson of the Golden State Warriors cannot keep his mouth shut.

Apparently he needed to rekindle the media dumpster fire between him and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakersby threatening him indirectly with  the following  comments:

“I’m going to be me, but I guarantee I won’t feed into the nonsense,” Jackson said Monday. “If it came down to a real fight, I know what would happen. I’m just going to leave that alone, go out and play basketball and try to help my team win.”

Lets take a look at this realistically.

We already disproved Jackson’s claim that he was in fact Kobe’s equal on the court.  Does anyone realistically believe he could beat Kobe Bryant in a fight without firearms?

The tale of the tape has Kobe weighing in two pounds heavier than Jackson, but giving up 2 inches in height.

If Jackson is promising to be mellow tonight, he must be planning to brawl Bryant using Taosim as his weapon of choice:

Stephen Jackson will need to channel a higher power to be as good as Kobe.

Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility.

It would take a miracle, perhaps one by Saint Kobe Bryant, for Jackson  to actually bend his will and behavior to fit into that mold.

Good luck tonight Stephen Jackson, you are the Warriors (of Taoism) are going to need it.

Updated: Due to reader requests, the Saint Kobe image was amended to display his 4 rings, further reinforcing our article.

“I’m not a fan of Kobe. I’m not somebody who looks up to him. I’m a grown man myself. So when I go out there and play the game, I play the game. I feel like I’m just as good as him. I might not get the publicity or notoriety he gets, but I feel like I can play with anybody in the NBA any given night.”

Those are not my words, but those of disgruntled Golden State Warrior Stephen Jackson.  The saga continues with more berating of his teammates, and the one line that people will never let him play down for the rest of his career: “I feel I am just as good as him.”

Expect to see fans with signs in arenas league-wide, heckling Jackson about his recent statements about Kobe Bryant.

These comments, in my opinion, makes Kobe look like a saint.

Just when you start to think nobody in the league is as conceited as Kobe Bryant, Jackson arrogantly outshines even the Black Mamba. Who, ironically, gave himself the nickname “The Black Mamba.” That is pretty cocky, you have to admit.

Jackson’s latest comments make Kobe look like a saint.  Kobe might think and believe (some would say we know) he is as good as anyone else, but the reality is Kobe is easily one of the top players of his era.

It’s a safe assumption that many players in the league are not huge fans of Kobe Bryant.

Kobe talks a lot on the court, and possesses a swagger other people might not like, but he always backs it up with his game.  This behavior definitely bruises egos of lesser competitors, causing them to not like him personally. It is the nature of sport and rivalry.

Ultimately, Kobe earns the respect of his peers, top to bottom, player to coach, and fan to referee. Which is why other players would never say what Jackson said. They might not like Kobe, but they all have to respect his game.

Speaking statistically, Jackson has done nothing to back this statement up. He has a career average of 15.4 points a game, and the pinnacle of his career was as a role player on the 2003 Spurs championship team. His comments make him look more like an idiot than Kobe’s equal.

Kobe has won 4 rings and has a career scoring average of 25.1 points a game, which is around 10 points more than Jackson’s 15.4.

Kobe has played in 10 All Star games, and was named the league MVP in 2008. Has Jackson done anything remotely “as good” as this?

Sure Kobe has a tainted past with the affair and rape allegations, but he has been nothing less than a model citizen since then. The same cannot be said for Jackson. Kobe never punched a fan, and never discharged firearms.

Everyone deserves a second chance. But how about a second, third and now fourth?

Stephen Jackson, what in the world have you been smoking?