2013 Golden State Warriors Free Agency Recipe

By Justin Taylor

The Warriors have no draft picks and no cap space but they do have some big time issues to address this offseason. It may sound impossible to retain or replace Jarrett Jack AND Carl Landry under those circumstances but I’m confident Bob Myers and Joe Lacob will get the job done. I’m convinced the Warriors will either buy a draft pick, pay the luxury tax this season or do both. That’s because they know as well as I do that the luxury tax bill will be a one time fee. After next season the ghosts of Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson will stop haunting the books and everyone will be able to breathe easier.

 

Nobody would complain about some more home cooking as long as it doesn't cost too much

The recipe to replacing Jack and/or Landry without putting a dent in that cap space earmarked for a stud in 2014 is easy, right? You just do exactly what you did to get those two in the first place. You let all of the big free agent names come off the market and get yourself a couple of solid veterans on cheap one year deals. There is nothing better than a professional athlete in a contract year because you know you will get maximum effort every single night.

Here is my free agent target list which includes what yearly salary I'd pay and for how long; since it's not my money of course. I feel like we need another big man for when Bogut misses games, a power forward and a point guard so those are the only positions I'm looking at.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Last year I was all about Jason Kidd coming back to the Bay, providing veteran leadership and a pass first point guard that this roster lacked and still does. Boy was I wrong on that call. Hopefully I can learn from my mistakes and give Bob Myers a better road map this season.

Center

Andrew Bynum                   At what price: $14-$18 million        At what length: 5 years

HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Yeah right!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait to laugh at whichever NBA team gets this case of indigestion

Chris Kaman                        At what price: $6-$7 million                        At what length: 2 years

It is slim pickings at the center spot. So much so that I think Kaman will get more than my target price in the first week or two of free agency. We need more of a rebounder anyways.

Zaza Pachulia                       At what price: $4 million      At what length: 1 year

This is a tough guy that might push Ezeli if and when Bogut goes down. I’ve got a feeling he’d look really good with a change of scenery and a one year deal.

Joel Pryzbilla                       At what price: $800k                        At what length: 1 year

Haven’t seen him in a couple years but I bet he can still rebound. Would come super cheap late in free agency which is exactly what the type of deal I’m targeting.

Jason Collins                        At what price: $800k-$900k                        At what length: 1 year

This is a last resort and it would be more like paying to have someone giving Ezeli extra coaching than it would be for anything on the court.

Power Forward:

Carl Landry              At what price: $5-$6 million                        At what length: 1 year

I’m hoping like hell he opts into his deal but if he gets more somewhere else I think there will be other highly motivated cheap options out there.

Elton Brand              At what price: $2-$3 million                        At what length: 2 years

I don’t see the downside if you can get Elton Brand in the fold to play 15 minutes a night for a couple million a year. He just seems like a perfect fit to help bring the kids along while still giving you a solid post presence in spurts.

 

Nothing like an experienced chef coming off the bench

JJ Hickson                 At what price: $4-$5 million                        At what length: 1 year

He was on the short list last year and would still look good playing here as long as it’s a very short contract. As in, expiring from the minute the ink dries.

Dejaun Blair             At what price: $2-$4 million                        At what length: 1 year

As long as he’s playing on a one year deal I don’t think his lack of ACL’s will come back to bite us. At this price the Spurs might want to keep him but it’s not out of the question.

Andray Blatche        At what price: $1 million                  At what length: 1 years

Stupid, crazy, head case, insanely cheap 8^th man. He’s a steal at that price unless you think he can affect the team’s chemistry, which I don’t think one knucklehead can.

Jason Maxiell            At what price: $5-$6 million                        At what length: 2 years

I’ve always been a fan and if he came for cheaper I might be a bigger fan of his than I’ve been of Landrys.

David West               At what price: $6-$7 million                        At what length: 3 years

This is a pipe dream because he’ll go early in the free agency period but I’m keeping him on my list until he’s gone.

Brandan Wright      At what price: $1-$2 million                        At what length: 3 years

Remember the guy we traded Jason Richardson for? He’s much better than that guy as long as he’s playing 20 minutes or less a night. That’s exactly what we need at exactly the price we want to pay.

Point Guards:

Jarrett Jack               At what price: $5-$6 million                        At what length: 2 years

When you look at the list below you’ll see a couple names that provide a lot of what Jack does for half the price. The Warriors need a guy that can create his own shot in the lane during crunch time. Even if it costs a little extra I think he is still one of the top options on this list.

Nate Robinson         At what price: $1-$2 million                        At what length: 2 years

If you thought Jarrett Jack shot you into as many games as he shot you out of then you probably hate Lil Nate. As a last resort you can do so much worse than this guy though. He bleeds toughness and his balls might actually account for half his body weight. No player in the league will take over more games off the bench for less money.

DJ Augustine             At what price: $3-$4 million                        At what length: 3 years

I’m not a huge fan of DJ but it is a risk I might be willing to take late in the FA period. If he doesn’t get swooped up early he’ll be cheap and will be entering his prime in the next few years, just like many other Warriors.

 

Spanish style? Yes please.

Jose Calderon           At what price: $4-$5 million                        At what length: 2 years

I’ll be watching every Calderon rumor very closely cause he is exactly what this roster has needed the last few years; a point guard who makes the scorers on the floor better with his passing and ability to space the floor. After making $10 million per over the last handful of years the only question is how big will his impending pay cut be?  All I know is that no other potential 6^th man on this list will mesh better with our mix of shooters and post players. The big drawback is that he plays even less defense than Curry and Jack if you can believe that.

Shaun Livingston     At what price: $1 million                  At what length: 1 year

This is another name you might find once every known commodity is off the table. You could do a lot worse for the money he’ll command. Just know that he won’t replace 75% of what we got from Jack but he’ll be an upgrade to the second unit defense.

Earl Watson             At what price: $2-$3 million                        At what length: 1 years

I’m not sure what Earl has left but if he’s playing on a one year deal I bet you get every last drop out of him.

Mo Williams             At what price: $4-$5 million                        At what length: 2 years

Here is a Jarrett Jack clone for you. Williams will have no problem being the man on the second unit and taking the biggest shots in any game. The biggest question here is how big of a pay cut will Mo be willing to take? He’s definitely not making the $8+ million salary he’s been clearing but it might not matter. He’ll probably be one of the guys that gets signed in the first week of the Free Agency period.

Randy Foye               At what price: $2-$3 million                        At what length: 2 years

Another Jarrett Jack lite that will be hitting his prime very shortly and won’t put too big a dent in the salary cap.

Did I miss anybody? Overpay someone? Let me know!

Dwight Howard Versus Andrew Bogut in Golden State

By Justin Taylor

At some point in recent months there is no doubt the Warriors brain trust has had the conversation about Dwight Howard. For all we know there is still a debate going on behind closed doors the same way we are doing it in forums, on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and every other tool the internet ahs given us to argue about shit and call each other stupid. That is why I’ve been posting about it for a week trying to get DubNation’s thoughts on the subject. I wish I were a fly on the wall behind those closed doors cause I know it’s not going like the hate fest raging on my pages.

I need to get my thoughts on out there so I can begin moving on from the discussion before I take any more heat for takes other than my own. In over a year of having this blog I’ve never gotten more negative comments and emails than I have through my series of Dwight Howard posts on Facebook. Now that my opinions are public please rip away.

 Jerry West, Bob Myers and Joe Lacob are probably discussing this picture right now

There is more to than Dwight Howard is a douchebag and I don’t want him on my team. It’s more of a competition between him and Andrew Bogut from the perspectives of health, chemistry and what’s better for the team five years from now. I’ll try to break it down from those angles to explain my position.

Personality:

Dwight Howard was hurt this year. He took time before and after every single #LOLakers game to tell us that. Andrew Bogut was also hurt this year. He waited till after game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals to come out and tell us all what we already knew. While one guy exudes the heart of a Warrior the other just wants attention. (If you want a taste of how other fans around the league feel about Dwight scroll to the bottom of this article)

Advantage: Bogut

Offense:

Dwight has no offensive game unless he is dunking the ball off a rebound or catching it close to the hoop. That alone allows him to average more points than Bogut. What strikes me as ridiculous is that Howard has never averaged 2 assists a game even though he’s seen more double and triple teams than anyone outside of LeBron throughout his career. Every team wants a guy that demands a double team on offense but what if that guy never does anything with it? Bogut’s numbers may not knock anyone down but once the Warriors chemistry is allowed to mature he will make the other four guys on the floor better. Dwight doesn’t look like his selfish ass is ever going to figure that out.

Advantage: Bogut

Defense:

There is no debate here. Dwight Howard is the premier defensive center in the league if his back heals. If there was a debate it would be between him, Joakim Noah and Marc Gasol. Andrew Bogut would never enter the conversation even if he might be a better within a team concept. I love Dwight’s blocks that land in the 4^th row because they give me an opportunity to point out his lack of basketball IQ, his ridiculous ego and how overall, he just doesn’t get it.

If you’re looking at why we need him in Oakland this is where the argument starts and finishes. The Warriors are trying to build a team that revolves around defense, rebounding and the shooting of the Splash Brothers among others. He may not have been the safety net LA thought they were getting but I’m not blaming him for the terrible defense every other piece of that team played.

Advantage: Howard

Chemistry:

Howard can kill your team’s chemistry while Bogut can double it. Advantage: Bogut

Money:

Dwight will require a five year contract for over $20 million a year and history shows his play will continue to decline the entire time. Andrew Bogut will cost closer to $15 million for the next two when you can renegotiate to account for his improvement or his demise.

Advantage: Bogut

Health:

Nobody wants a 7 footer with back problems or foot problems so pick your poison. The difference really comes to be who is more effective when they are less than 100%? It’s Bogut on offense and Howard on defense but who will last longer? I say it’s the guy who doesn’t rely on athleticism over the guy who decided he was so overpowering that he didn’t need to learn the game. The risk with Bogut isn’t as long term with Bogut also, that’s why he gets the nod here.

Advantage: Bogut

Coach’s Preference:

I would bet that Mark Jackson would love a chance to coach Dwight Howard even though he’ll never say it.

Advantage: Howard

Conclusion:

In terms Mark Jackson can appreciate: At the end of the day this would be a move that would be all about the short term because Howard will be more trouble than he’s worth in the long term whether Bogut is in the fold or not.

Would Howard be an immediate upgrade to this season’s team? No question in my mind. Would he be an upgrade if we had to give up Klay or Barnes to get him? Probably. Would he help us lure another star when the cap situation clears up in 2014? Maybe. Will he be worth the price you’d have to pay him in five years? Absolutely not.

My final verdict is against Dwight Howard because he costs too much for too long and I will continue to have more fun bashing him than I will have rooting for him.

ENJOY...

 

2013 Golden State Warriors Exit Interviews

By Justin Taylor 

In my 30 years of following this team I’ve never seen a Warriors squad exceed expectations by this much. I was on record predicting a 48 win season and a playoff appearance this season.  That didn't lessen the shock when they refused to fall apart as the injuries mounted during the regular and postseason runs. Now that the season is over it’s time to look ahead to the offseason and what can be done to build on this cornerstone of a season we just witnessed.

You may not know this but I’ve recently appointed myself to the role of Golden State Warriors front office advisor. The team will undoubtedly conduct exit interviews this week if they haven’t already and this is a transcript of the input I will be contributing to those conversations starting from the very top!

Joe Lacob, Owner:

Looking Back: You did a fantastic job stepping out of the spotlight this season. You also continued to make good on your promise to improve this team by letting the best and brightest basketball minds do what they do best.

Looking Forward: Keep doing what you’re doing but be prepared to spend some extra cash this coming season. Whether you keep this team intact or add to it some other way you’re going over the tax line next season. Don’t worry though, we both know that you’ll get back under the following season when the Biedrins/Jefferson dead weight comes off the books.

Peter Guber, Co-Owner:

Looking Back: You also did a great job of staying out of the spotlight this season. The fact is, we all know how happy you are to spend all of your money on the Los Angeles Dodgers and we have no problem with that as long as you stay down there.

Looking Forward: Since you are the self proclaimed “In Game Experience Guru” there are only two things you need to concern yourself with. 1) Improve the WiFi in the arena and 2) dump whatever other money you would spend on theatrics into the roster. The only thing that makes the Oracle experience better are wins and playoff appearances.

Bob Myers, General Manager:

Looking Back: You were the Barry Bonds of front office execs for the last twelve months, hitting home run after home run. Even though I am the self appointed management oversight committee guy I really don’t feel qualified to critique your spotless record. In fact, your stat sheet is so clean I might recommend testing you for some sort of PED’s.

Looking Forward: Keep doling out team friendly contracts like the one you gave Steph Curry. Keep nailing late round draft picks and keep turning scrubs like Dorrell Wright into contributors like Jarrett Jack or Carl Landry. If you can get Biedrins and Jefferson off the books a year early without taking on any water for future seasons I will personally get your Hall of Fame campaign ramping up in just your second year of employment in the NBA. Seriously, we’ll take some already chewed gum and a sack of marbles for them. If you can’t get the marbles we’ll all understand.

Mark Jackson, Coach:

Looking Back: I was skeptical before the season that you and this team were ready to make the leap into relevancy, especially if the team couldn’t stay healthy. I was wrong on all counts and I think that admitting mistakes is what qualifies me for this job. Your ability to keep this group of young men motivated to play defense and rebound in the face of impending doom, multiple times throughout the season, without the message getting old was admirable. Actually, getting any team with a Warriors logo on its jersey to rebound and defend at any point is a pretty incredible feat.

Looking Forward: We’re not out of the woods in this evaluation because Mike Malone is most likely going to get his own club this coming season. We need to see someone drawing up plays that actually work. You can sell me by either proving your ability to do this yourself or by continuing to show a willingness to bring in people smarter than you to play key roles on your staff.

Stephen Curry, Point Guard:

Looking Back: Talk about exceeding expectations!?!?! First, you showed an incredible amount of heart in gutting out many of the 90 total games you played this year. Then you made a leap so big that national media members had to publicly apologize for not putting you on their All Star teams. You played so damn well this season that people practically forgot that the front office traded Monta Ellis for a guy who barely played this year.

Looking Forward: Paying you $11-12 million a year for the next four is going to be an absolute privilege for this team. All we ask is you stay off your ankle all offseason. We will be providing you with a wheelchair and a “chauffer” so you don’t have to strain yourself at all. We have already informed Richard Jefferson that his role with the team this coming season is simply to push you around wherever you need to go this summer. We thought about using Andris but were afraid he might start boozing again and run you into a wall at some point.

David Lee, Power Forward:  

Looking Back: This season you became the first Warriors All Star since before Latrell Sprewell chocked out the coach. You also took it in stride when the stat nerd community labeled you the Golden Gate on the defensive side of the ball. You are to be commended for your hard work and dedication to this team!

Looking Forward: We need you to realize two things this offseason: 1) You’re offensive numbers are unnecessary and 2) your defense needs to improve. The team proved in your absence that we are better off with Steph getting extra shots over force-feeding you the ball in the post. We will lean on you to eat up minutes in the regular season for stretches but if you can’t improve on the defensive end I’m going to recommend that the team trade you even if that recommendation will surely get me banned from Oracle by Joe Lacob.

Andrew Bogut, Center:

Looking Back: You’re performance in three or four playoff games was enough to make everyone realize what most already knew; the trade to acquire you was absolutely the right move.

Looking Forward: We’re going to need more than 30 grimace filled regular season games and six out of twelve playoff games next year. We don’t want to put you back on the trade market but we absolutely will if we don’t get more next year. Just to show you how committed to your health we are we’re putting you on the Curry offseason program and will be assigning Asst. Coach Pete Myers to push your wheelchair and get you cold Fosters all offseason. Cheers mate.

Jarrett Jack, Point Guard:

Looking Back: You were our 6^th man of the year this season no doubt. Pay no mind to all of the uproar over your little over-dribbling problem in the postseason, it was a necessary evil and you meant more to this team than anybody has given you credit for.

Looking Forward: We look forward to low balling you with an offer sheet this offseason and wish you the best if you can get overpaid elsewhere. Before you accept our ridiculously low offer we need you know there is one thing you must improve this offseason; your peripheral vision. If you continue taking fadeaways and floaters when Steph, Klay and B. Rush are open in the corner Jerry West is going to have a heart attack and we’ll be forced to charge you with manslaughter.

Carl Landry, Power Forward:

Looking Back: I still can’t believe that no team in the league would top the contract you played under this season. Four million dollars? Wow! There are only a handful of guys around the league who outplayed their deal by as wide a margin you did.

Looking Forward: We wish you luck on the open market in July but we’re all hoping we get the chance to underpay you on another one year contract this coming season.

Klay Thompson, Shooting Guard:

Looking Back: You made a giant leap this season after your early season meltdowns. Everyone wishes you were a bit more marketable but not everyone has the ability to change facial expressions.

Looking Forward: Next season you will be expected to show up in EVERY game on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. If we see you pouting when things aren’t going your way we will not hesitate to dock your allowance again!

Richard Jefferson, Small Forward:

Looking Back: You could have justified your albatross of a contract Barry Zito style by hitting one goddamn free throw when it mattered. Was that too much to ask?!?!?

Looking Forward: If we can’t get the bag of beans we’re seeking in a trade for you this offseason we’re all hoping that you are remembered for something more than filling Kent Bazemore’s car with popcorn next season. Be careful when pushing Steph’s wheelchair!

Andris Biedrins, Center:

Looking Back: With a ton of help from you this season I’ve finally convinced every fan, coach, player and front office exec that the promise you showed as a kid will never be fulfilled. Thanks for not showing any flashes that may have confused that message!

Looking Forward: Please try to keep the smoking and drinking to a minimum this summer. If you do, just make sure you’re not photographed, especially if you happen to be with a prostitute at the time. We’re trying to trick one of the dumber teams in the league to take you off our hands and we can’t have anything getting in the way of that.

Harrison Barnes, Small Forward:

Looking Back: If we had to do it over again we’d tank another ten times to make sure we got you as our starting small forward.  We’re ecstatic to have you and your canned postgame interviews for the next 10 years!

Looking Forward: We can’t promise Tony Parker will be guarding you at any point next season. We do know that if you stay as aggressive as you were when he was on you you’ll have a long, lucrative career in this league.

Festus Ezeli, Center:

Looking Back: Being Adonal Foyle reincarnated is nothing to be ashamed of. Taking on Richard Jefferson’s corpse was a small price to pay for that; being as though it wasn’t my money on the line.

Looking Forward: Everybody is looking forward to seeing you start the 50 or 60 games Andrew Bogut misses again next season!

Draymond Green, Basketball Player:

Looking Back: There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you were the steal of the draft and that was before you started hitting threes in the playoffs. Your IQ, toughness and versatility have me you a Dub Nation favorite.

Looking Forward: We’d like you to continue working on your shot because when you push your ass out on your three point stroke it reminds us a little too much of Antawn Jamison. We promise that if you do that and keep progressing we will trade David Lee to make room for you in the starting line up. I’m just sorry I won’t be allowed in the arena once it happens for being the guy who suggests that to Lacob.

Kent Bazemore, Shooting Guard:

Looking Back: In my 30 years of following this team I’ve never seen a guy who played so little become such a huge fan favorite (Jeremy Lin doesn’t count). You were hands down the NBA Most Valuable 12^th Man.

Looking Forward: If you add a jump shot to your celebrations we will guarantee you a three year contract!

Scott Machado, Point Guard:

Looking Back: We hardly knew you…

Looking Forward: Based on your college resume you could be the exact change of pace distributor this team needs. Last year I recommended Jason Kidd at this time and BOY was I wrong. Don’t me look stupid again if I put in a good word for you in Vegas…

Can’t wait to see you all at Summer League!

Kent Bazemore approves Trapped in Golden State Bazemoring logo on NBATV

This is Kent Bazemore bombing a Harrison Barnes interview for NBA TV during the playoffs to get himself (and the Trapped in Golden State Bazemoring logo by extension) some airtime.

Harrison Barnes can clown all he wants! I appreciate the shameless self promotion and the love of the Trapped in Golden State design!

You can see the exchange in the video below at the :42 second mark and get one of these shirts for yourself at: http://trappedingoldenstate.bigcartel.com/product/bazemoring-tee

Check out the clip from NBATV's series "NBA ROOKS"

The Bazemoring logo also made an apprearance on a Warriors Postgame show after a playoff win!

 http://trappedingoldenstate.bigcartel.com/product/bazemoring-tee

Dub City never looked so good

Huge thank you to Warriors Girls Deanna and Casey for rocking Dub City shirts before a Western Conference Semifinals playoffs game at Oracle! Dub City never looked so good!

You can still get yours here: Trapped in Golden State Store / Dub City Store

Dub City will show San Antonio what home court advantage is

You want loud? Oracle Arena is going to be so crazy the TNT announcers might lose their voices trying to be heard in their microphones! San Antonio had home court advantage because of the extra game and the curse only, now all of that has been broken and Dub City can show what a real home crowd looks like!

Oracle Arena is going to reach new heights in the second round of the playoffs!

If you like to play fantasy basketball or like wagering on games why not combine the two? Check out Fan Duel Fantasy Basketball and put Steph Curry to work for you tonight!

Dub City Original: DubNation Represent

As a life long Warriors fanatic there have been many times where it has been nearly impossible to take any pride in the team on the court. The one aspect of the Golden State Warriors that has remained consistent throughout all those years was the die hard fan base that never ran when times were tough and the team was pathetic.

Now that things are trending upward there will be a slew of new fans which is great but I really wanted to put together a design that is dedicated to the fans who have stuck with this team through thick and thin. I've lived through the worst this team has to offer and I have seen the best. Whether it was Run TMC or We Believe the best has always been Dub Nation!

This design will be on shirts very soon so if you're interested be looking for them athttp://trappedingoldenstate.bigcartel.com/ or email: trappedingoldenstate@gmail.com

The Golden State Warriors San Antonio Curse Must End

If you're going to end an epic losing streak might as well do it in the playoffs, right?

Dub City Shirts from Trapped in Golden State

Thank you to everyone who has supported Trapped in Golden State by rocking a Dub City T shirt during these playoffs! If anyone else is interested check out the Dub City Store