<a href="http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/hughes_summerstory.html">Larry Hughes</a>, after a workout at the Warriors' practice facility: "We understand we can't go through a season like we did last year. We can't do that this next season, so we have to do everything possible to get ready and work harder than all the other guys on other teams are working."
. . . And then he had a season ending injury. ------------------ "I always thought it was something that went around my house" - World B. Free on Defence
Oh great, the golden state -- houston rockets war is going to start again. Can we just read the threads from last year Swopa? Our simplifying assumption will be that Golden State will suck, like they always do. ------------------ When this guy started smoking 40 years ago, people had no idea it was bad for you. People had to guess based on the hacking cough, shortness of breath, and bloody phlegm girl you looks good won't you mock that draft up?!
Achebe: Hey, c'mon, it's not like I'm pimping <a href="http://www.nba.com/warriors/images/adamkeefe_0416.rm">Adam Keefe</a> or anything. Just wanted to let the BBS know that our guys are at least trying to get better, however horribly it may turn out. (P.S. I really do recommend checking out the Adam Keefe video link, especially with the sound up so you can catch the crowd reaction at one point.) tacoma park legend: I think you're more right than you know. The window for GS to offer Hughes a long-term extension closes in October, so a big show of self-improvement now improves the chances of him getting the kind of near-max offer he'd like. ------------------
How much money are the Warriors willing to dish out to keep Hughes? I wouldn't think they'd go higher than 40-50 million to keep him because you have to overpay to keep good players in Golden State...no joke intended, just the reality of the situation. How's Fortson doing? ------------------
I live in the Bay Area and go to Warrior games frequently. It astounds me at how many rejects that the Warriors have had on their team the past few years: Bill Curley, Adam Keefe, Erick Dampier, Adonal Foyle, Sam Jacobson, and Chris Garner to name a few... ------------------ "I look kind of dumpy. Look at my butt. And what kind of shoes do they have me wearing? At least they got the chinstrap beard right." -Kevin Garnett on the KG bobblehead dolls during KG bobblehead doll night at the Target Center
Very, very good question about how much the W's will pay to get Hughes to commit now, and I don't think anyone knows the answer yet. The wise thing would be to give him a contract with a lot of incentives, or agree to wait until the end of the year (which hopefully won't be taken as an insult of some kind, or everyone will be going down the same old disgruntled-Warrior road again). And you don't have to convince me about GS having to overpay players to keep them ... all I have do is look at the contracts they gave Erick Dampier and Jason Caffey. Fortson was just about ready to play again when the season ended, so unless he pulls a Kurt Thomas (remember when he kept re-fracturing the same ankle?), he should be fine. LilStevie, I just did a quick count, and I come up with 34 different players on the Warriors' roster over the past 2 seasons. Bob Finn* (below), see my comments in oeilpere's "Draft Essay" thread. I don't have anything to add to that, except that GS is being very hush-hush about the whole thing, not even admitting who they're bringing in for workouts. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Swopa (edited June 21, 2001).]
Who are the Warriors looking to draft? ------------------ When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.- Albert Einstein
"Shootin' at the walls of heart ache (bang,bang), I am the Warrior!" Why don't yall get Patti Smythe. At least you would have a decent song. ------------------ "We're having a pretty good time considering one day we're all going to die." Steve Martin, 1976
Did you ever know anyone who flunked a year in school and had to take summer classes to catch up? From this week's Sporting News GSW team report:
Class A1 Chuckster. "If I throw enough up there, some of them will stick." 16 ppg on 38.3% shooting and slightly less than 19% from 3 pt land.
The problem(s) with Hughes' shooting -- and the positive impact he has on the GS offense, despite his awful FG% -- are discussed here. (excerpt below)
Yah...I noticed almost 4 and a half assists a game. Not bad. But averaging 16 shots a game with only 6 of them going in isn't.
Gee, impressive response. Did you catch the part about the Warriors scoring 10 points more per game when Hughes was in the lineup? Or Antawn Jamison's FG% rising from 41.6 to 46.3% in those same games? Assists aren't the only way to measure a player's ability to help his teammates.
I was impressed when I read that article Swopa! IF Hughes can raise his FG% to the dizzying heights of 40%+ then he'll be quite a deadly player! I would think that with Murphy and Richardson out there (guys who can actually hit an open shot) and Jamison's standard improvement (he gets something new to his game every year) then maybe there'll be less pressure on Hughes to force shots and he'll be able to shot a better % while still helping the team to score more overall. I'd think the Warriors could feasably expect 30 wins this year... did I just say that?
The Warriors (major misnomer) gave zero/nada/zilch defensive effort when I saw them the last few years. And their shot selection and ball handling were atrocious. They've got to change the culture of that team for starters. They look the same every year...just a few names change.
Golden State can win 35 to 40 wins and have a good season if they can get consistent shooting, solid PG play (and I don't mean Mookie "I'm missing team meetings to go hang out and golf with my pothead friends" Blaylock) and avoid the injury bug. Golden State needs to develop team chemistry which is tough when your players, especially star players, keep going down to injuries. If they were in the East and all of that happened they could win 42 to 45 games and make the playoffs. In the West it'll be tougher since they are basically starting all over again as a team playing together. I've liked Larry Hughes since his days with the Saint Louis Billikens. Hughes needs to work on his shot selection, that is his problem. He has superstar written all over him, talent wise he is the most talented guy on the team, and one of the more talented guys in the league, and I think he can be a Finley type player. Not quite a franchise player, but close enough to win games for a team and push them to the playoffs.
Swoopa, I can say positive things about the Warriors and Bay Area professional basketball more generally #1. I really believe not only that THEY WILL pass the Gizzards next year but they have a shot at the McNuggets too--especially if the latter gets a key injury or two (e.g., McDyess). They may get passed by the Clippers this time, but oh well, 2/3 ain't bad. #2. Richardson is my pick for ROY. It doesn't matter that no other Warrier can both shoot and defend and thus they will leave him out there like chum for nearly 40 minutes, I like his chances at the hardware. #3. The greatist thing about them is the ease it is to go to a Rockets game there. I was at the 1st Rocket game from 2 seasons ago, a GREAT game (Barkley passed to rookie Mobes for the game winner).
