Stephen Jackson has made it clear that he wants out of Golden State and would prefer being traded to a perennial contender.  Who doesn’t want to play for a perennial contender.  I’ve always hated the term “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” and for good reason.  Gone are the days where athletes take pride in being part of a team that does it on their own.  There are no more Magic Johnsons or Larry Birds.  Nobody cares about integrity anymore.  It’s all about winning a championship no matter what it takes.


I know, Jackson didn’t start with the Warriors but he did help them make their first playoff run in 12 years. Now he wants to up and leave because he feels that “At this point, I’m 31 years old. I have four or five years left, I want to be in a situation where I can continually be in the playoffs and get another ring. So that’s where my mind is at now.” That is what he had to say to Dime Magazine.


So, in terms of fantasy relevance Jackson will most likely take a big hit in value unless he is traded to New York (which will not happen). Golden State is the perfect place for S-Jax and he knows it. I guess now all he wants is another ring and he is willing to abandon a franchise that took him in when he was considered a major risk and turned his career around. Good riddance Mr. Jackson, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.


Meanwhile, scoring opportunities should skyrocket for Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Not to mention Anthony Randolph and Corey Maggette should see a bump in offensive production. The move could allow Randolph to move over to the SF position occasionally also. It will be interesting to see how the Warriors and their fans handle this situation.

Amare Stoudemire seems to be on the trading block. He was almost traded to the Golden State Warriors for Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright and Stephen Curry this past week. The Warriors quickly changed their minds and issued a statement saying that they have no plans to trade Curry. They even flew out to see Monta Ellis just to let him know how important he is to the team and how he is the key to their success. So, don’t get your hopes up on that trade.


So, where does that leave Amare? Well, his agent had this to say, “Either he’s in or out,” Grantham said Sunday. “You’re going to have to really make a commitment to him that he’s part of your program going forward and that you’re going to work around him. Those decisions seemingly are still up in the air. They are going to have to be made at some point. You’ll have to talk about either committing to him or trading him.”


Amare basically wants an extension or to be promised that he will be traded. He just doesn’t want this lingering over the upcoming season. This should be interesting to watch as it plays out. Depending on where he goes (or if he stays), Amare could return to that huge dominant force he was during the D’Antoni days. It would have been awesome to see him play for Don Nelson but I agree with the Warriors that the price tag was too much for a rental player who will absolutely hit the free agency when his contract is up.

There are a few rumors floating around about the Boston Celtics. It seems as though the C’s might be shopping Ray Allen and/or Rajon Rondo. Now, the Golden State Warriors are rumored to be interested in Rondo, and who wouldn’t? Ray Allen would most likely be a salary dump but Rondo is the future of the Celtics!!! At least that’s what everyone thought.


What would it take for the Warriors to pry Rondo away from the Celtics? Well, it would most certainly have to involve Monta Ellis. I don’t see how it could work any other way. Monta may still be angry with the way he was treated after his scooter accident and he could be on his way out the door. No player is safe when it comes to the Warriors and Don Nelson.


Rondo is exactly the player the Warriors are looking for and if the Celtics were to get Ellis, it would make it a lot easier to get rid of Allen. The only problem here is that the Celtics would then need a point guard. I don’t see how this gets pulled off unless the Warriors also include their first round pick, or maybe a swap of first round picks. The Celtics should easily be able to get a point guard with the seventh overall pick this Thursday.


Personally, I think this would be a great deal for the Warriors and could be a nice deal for the Celtics but, there is a huge chance of this blowing up in the Celtics’ faces.

The Golden State Warriors should seriously be looking into signing Jason Kidd this off-season. He would be the perfect fit for the Warriors. He could step right in and become the floor general that the Warriors have lacked since losing Baron Davis to free agency. Kidd grew up in Alameda which is a short drive from Oakland. He went o high school (St. Joe’s) and college (Cal Berkeley) in the Bay Area. He is exactly what the Warriors need.

I know that the West is ridiculously tough to make the playoffs but Kidd would instantly make them playoff contenders. If they could use the #7 pick in the draft this year on a PG of the future, the Warriors could groom him behind Kidd and not have to worry about putting any added pressure on him. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: I know it is early seeing that the season just ended but who do you think has the most potential to have a breakout season next year?


David- Detroit, MI


A: Anthony Randolph and here is why. He ended the season as a starter and should begin next year as the starting PF. His potential is through the roof. He finished the final month of the season averaging 15.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 1.5 spg and 0.9 bpg. In 15 March games he averaged 2 bpg. He has a chance to showcase his Lamar Odom type skill set and there really isn’t anything stopping him.


Q: Do you think that Kevin Garnett will still be considered a first round fantasy player in next year’s draft?


Patrick- Boston, MA


A: No, 15.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg 1.1 spg and 1.1 bpg just isn’t what you are looking for in a first round player. Garnett is the perfect case of a player that has way more value as a real player as opposed to a fantasy player.


Q: Heard any rumors lately involving future free agents or trades?


Eddie- Denver, CO


A: There are always rumors flying around but here is an interesting one. Dwayne Wade has said that he may consider signing a contract extension with the Miami Heat before he can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent for the summer of 2010. He has until July 1 to decide.


Q: Can the Golden State Warriors make it back to the playoffs next year with their current roster completely healthy?


Ashley- Hayward, CA


A: No, I don’t think they can. They need a true PG to run the show so Monta Ellis can do his thing and create offense without having to initiate it. Hopefully they will be able to find a solid PG in the draft or via trade. They will need Ellis to be that consistent scorer that everyone watched him become last year with the impending loss of Jamal Crawford due to not picking up his option. Stephen Jackson should be able to fully return and Anthony Randolph proved late in the season that he belongs in the starting 5 no matter what.

This is a look at which players have been lighting it up over the past week. Most of them might be available on your league waiver wire.

Guards

Mario Chalmers- He has been playing very well over his last 2 games really cutting down on his turnovers. He has been shooting the ball at a .524% clip while averaging 13 pts, 6.5 asst, 3.5 stl and only 0.5 TO.

Kelenna Azubuike- The return of Monta Ellis might negate these stats but over the past 4 games he has averaged a .553 FG%, 1.3 3ptm, 15 pts, 4.5 reb and 1.3 blk. Read the rest of this entry »

Does Monta Ellis have something brewing in the ways of forcing a trade? I understand that he is angry that he was fined roughly $3 million for his bonehead moped stunt but come on. The Warriors can’t possibly trade Ellis, could they?


Golden State is going nowhere this year and are headed for a lottery pick. Ellis is just itching to get back on the court and I don’t know if he will be able to sit out just to force a trade. The most reasonable solution would be for the Warriors to give back some of the money they fined him. But, should they? NO! However, they probably shouldn’t have fined him that much in the first place. I guess the Warriors felt betrayed and wanted to make an example out of Ellis.


This is a tough situation and Ellis is the only one to blame for it. I know he is only twenty-three (twenty-two when he crashed the moped) but isn’t it about time for him to take some responsibility for his actions? Pro athletes have been violating contract stipulations since they were first put into contracts. Look at Vladamir Radmonovic and his snowboarding mishap. He did the right thing by taking his lumps and apologizing and moving on.


Ellis needs to put this mistake behind him so he can get back on the court in that crazy Don Nelson system and start rewarding the patience his owners have shown all year by keeping him on their rosters. Just shut up and play basketball.