W's must learn Boozer boo-boo
SALT LAKE CITY — The run has been so much fun and hopes have been so high for both the present and the future, Warriors fans probably don't want to read any ugly history right now.
Read anyway, and maybe read again as you watch Game 5 against Utah: They could have had Carlos Boozer, the man who pummeled them in Game 4 and likely will knock them out tonight.
The Warriors could have taken Boozer in the Mike Dunleavy draft, the same one in which they passed on Amare Stoudemire. Worse yet, they could have taken Dunleavy or Stoudemire and still taken Boozer. Boozer is one of those rare second-round choices that somehow slipped through the cracks and became a star power forward, falling all the way to the sixth pick in the second round of the 2002 draft.
The Warriors had the first pick of the second round in that draft and selected Cincinnati guardSteve Logan, who not only was a bust but also had the audacity to hold out, just one more bit of evidence why Garry St. Jean is no longer employed by the team.
We revive this little bit of information not to pile on the Warriors for one of their myriad past mistakes. Can't go back and fix'em. We revive it as a reminder to them about how to stabilize this very promising team into a consistent playoff team and a true championship contender.
Obviously, they must find a stronger inside presence. Like the Run TMC teams of the late 1980s and early'90s, this team has reached an admirable plateau but now must work even harder to find the next level.
It's going to hurt. It's probably going to cost a favorite player and a draft pick or two. But if May basketball is going to become a regular occurrence in Oakland with any hope of extending into June, it has to happen this offseason.
Don Nelson knew the reality early on with that Run TMC team, which is why he drafted Tyrone Hill, traded for Billy Owens and then made the draft-day mega-swap that netted Chris Webber. Alas, Hill never developed beyond the scope of an average player. Owens was an injury casualty whose heart was never really in it, either. And you should know the details of the Webber debacle, one that set the franchise back a decade, by heart.
Getting the right power player to anchor your franchise is tricky business. You need some luck. But if you hit, you're in the chips. The Jazz got lucky on Boozer. After failing to land Elton Brand and other Karl Malone clones in previous free-agent seasons, they offered Boozer the maximum allowable contract when Cleveland granted him restricted free agency in 2004. The Cavs only made the move because they thought they had a verbal agreement with Boozer that he would re-sign with them on their terms. Then he didn't ... oops.
Whether Boozer betrayed the Cavs or not is moot now, although he will be reviled in Cleveland forever. After all, imagine that double-double machine with LeBron James.
Better yet, imagine him with the Warriors. Or somebody of his ilk. An enforcer who could line up next to impressive young center Andris Biedrins and run the floor with some combination of Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Jason Richardson and Monta Ellis. It would be something special to see, beyond what we're seeing now.
What we've learned in a half-season is that Al Harrington, while a nice player, is not the guy. He's a guard, or at least a small forward, trapped in a power forward's body. He can post up and drive but prefers the outside jumper, and his rebounding and interior defensive ability are spotty. That's probably never going to change.
So Chris Mullin, Nelson and the Warriors have to go hunting almost as soon as they are out of the playoffs, which very well could be tonight ... on Nellie's 67th birthday, no less.
Who's out there to be had? Anybody's fair game, because the Warriors not only have tradeable commodities now but also possess an attractive product, a good coach and a style of play that will entice players who previously would have shuddered at the thought of coming to Oakland. The Warriors need to identify their top candidates and work that list hard.
Who goes? That'll be the tougher part, but much will depend on who commands the most attention in trade. It could be Ellis. Maybe Richardson. Mickael Pietrus wouldn't bring enough. Harrington would probably have to be packaged in the deal. Only Davis, Jackson and Biedrins would seem untouchable.
The Warriors were able to beat Dallas because the Mavericks lacked that dynamic power player. Not so fortunate with Utah, a team that actually might be ready to win an NBA title right now if the matchups fall right. At the least, they have two young players in Boozer and Deron Williams who will keep them in the playoffs for years to come.
The Warriors will be right there with them if they can land the right inside player through trade, free agency or the draft. At some point in the next week, and quite likely tonight, their calendar should be clear to begin the quest.
See More
at www.insidebayarea.com
|
