LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/26/09 & 11/27/09

11/26/09

Willie Warren - Oklahoma 93, Houston 100
32 min, 8-11 fg, 1-2 3pt, 8-9 ft, 1 reb, 7 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 5 to, 4 pf, 25 pts

Malcolm Lee - UCLA 47, Portland 74
34 min, 4-12 fg, 3-8 3pt, 3-5 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 2 to, 4 pf, 14 pts

JaMychal Green - Alabama 79, Baylor 76
32 min, 9-13 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-5 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk, 1 to, 3 pf, 22 pts



11/27/09

Wesley Johnson - Syracuse 85, Columbia 60
28 min, 8-13 fg, 4-5 3pt, 6-6 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 1 to, 0 pf, 26 pts

Cole Aldrich - Kansas 112, Tennessee Tech 75
22 min, 5-8 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-5 ft, 10 reb, 3 ast, 0 stl, 4 blk, 1 to, 1 pf, 14 pts

Kyle Singler - Duke 68, Connecticut 59
31 min, 2-12 fg, 1-2 3pt, 1-2 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 1 to, 3 pf, 6 pts

Devin Ebanks - West Virginia 73, Texas A&M 66
29 min, 4-6 fg, 1-2 3pt, 5-5 ft, 9 reb, 0 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk, 3 to, 2 pf, 14 pts

Wesley Johnson - Syracuse 85, Columbia 60
28 min, 8-13 fg, 4-5 3pt, 6-6 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 1 to, 0 pf, 26 pts

Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech 85, Mercer 74
26 min, 5-6 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-7 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 4 blk, 1 to, 3 pf, 16 pts

JaMychal Green - Alabama 51, Florida State 60
26 min, 4-9 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-1 ft, 8 reb, 0 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk, 4 to, 5 pf, 9 pts

Solomon Alabi - Alabama 51, Florida State 60
20 min, 3-5 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-4 ft, 4 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 4 blk, 1 to, 2 pf, 10 pts

Larry Sanders - VCU 85, Nevada 76
30 min, 5-12 fg, 0-2 3pt, 7-12 ft, 14 reb, 2 ast, 0 stl, 5 blk, 2 to, 3 pf, 17 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/25/09

John Wall - Kentucky 73, Stanford 65
45 min, 8-16 fg, 2-5 3pt, 8-8 ft, 4 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 5 to, 3 pf, 26 pts

Cole Aldrich - Kansas 89, Oakland 59
23 min, 2-10 fg, 0-0 3pt, 0-1 ft, 9 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk, 1 to, 3 pf, 4 pts

Patrick Patterson - Kentucky 73, Stanford 65
31 min, 5-9 fg, 1-2 3pt, 1-2 ft, 11 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 0 to, 2 pf, 12 pts

DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky 73, Stanford 65
26 min, 5-8 fg, 0-1 3pt, 3-8 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk, 2 to, 5 pf, 13 pts

Kyle Singler - Duke 64, Arizona State 53
40 min, 5-16 fg, 1-5 3pt, 2-2 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 3 to, 3 pf, 13 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/23/09 THRU 11/24/09

11/23/09

Ed Davis - North Carolina 93, Gardner-Webb 72
29 min, 6-12 fg, 0-0 3pt, 3-8 ft, 13 reb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 2 to, 1 pf, 15 pts

Samardo Samuels - Louisville 80, Appalachian State 53
21 min, 4-8 fg, 0-0 3pt, 8-14 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 2 to, 2 pf, 16 pts

Paul George - Fresno State 58, San Diego State 62
40 min, 5-11 fg, 0-2 3pt, 2-2 ft, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 6 to, 2 pf, 12 pts

Malcom Lee - UCLA 71, Pepperdine 52
32 min, 4-8 fg, 1-3 3pt, 4-4 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk, 0 to, 1 pf, 13 pts



11/24/09

Jarvis Varnado - Mississippi State 75, Texas-Pan American 50
27 min, 6-8 fg, 0-0 3pt, 0-2 ft, 15 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 8 blk, 0 to, 2 pf, 12 pts

John Wall - Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49
35 min, 3-5 fg, 0-1 3pt, 9-10 ft, 4 reb, 6 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 5 to, 3 pf, 15 pts

Patrick Patterson - Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49
18 min, 3-5 fg, 0-0 3pt, 3-6 ft, 5 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 1 to, 0 pf, 9 pts

DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49
18 min, 5-11 fg, 1-1 3pt, 3-6 ft, 7 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 2 blk, 2 to, 4 pf, 14 pts

Wesley Johnson - Syracuse 88, Cornell 73
38 min, 5-10 fg, 1-3 3pt, 4-4 ft, 10 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk, 3 to, 1 pf, 15 pts

Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest 76, Winston-Salem 52
22 min, 5-9 fg, 1-3 3pt, 2-3 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 3 to, 4 pf, 13 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/21/09 THRU 11/22/09

11/21/09

John Wall - Kentucky 92, Rider 63
35 min, 8-12 fg, 0-2 3pt, 5-6 ft, 6 reb, 11 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk, 2 to, 2 pf, 21 pts

Patrick Patterson - Kentucky 92, Rider 63
34 min, 8-13 fg, 0-2 3pt, 3-6 ft, 18 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 0 to, 2 pf, 19 pts

DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky 92, Rider 63
15 min, 7-10 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-7 ft, 6 reb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 5 blk, 2 to, 4 pf, 18 pts

Kyle Singler - Duke 104, Radford 67
30 min, 4-13 fg, 3-8 3pt, 2-2 ft, 7 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 2 to, 1 pf, 13 pts

Samardo Samuels - Louisville 69, East Tennessee State 56
22 min, 5-6 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-6 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk, 2 to, 2 pf, 14 pts

Greg Monroe - Georgetown 63, Savannah State 44
24 min, 6-10 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-4 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 5 to, 3 pf, 13 pts




11/22/09

Craig Brackins - Iowa State 96, Mississippi Valley State 55
29 min, 11-17 fg, 1-1 3pt, 5-6 ft, 12 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk, 1 to, 1 pf, 28 pts

Samardo Samuels - Louisville 90, Morgan State 81
28 min, 6-12 fg, 0-0 3pt, 11-15 ft, 12 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 1 to, 2 pf, 23 pts

Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech 85, Boston University 67
21 min, 7-9 fg, 0-0 3pt, 0-3 ft, 10 reb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 1 to, 4 pf, 14 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/20/09

Wesley Johnson - Syracuse 87, North Carolina 71
29 min, 10-17 fg, 4-8 3pt, 1-5 ft, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 1 to, 3 pf, 25 pts

Ed Davis - Syracuse 87, North Carolina 71
28 min, 5-6 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-9 ft, 10 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 2 blk, 3 to, 1 pf, 16 pts

Evan Turner - Ohio State 76, California 70
40 min, 9-14 fg, 0-0 3pt, 8-11 ft, 14 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 4 to, 5 pf, 26 pts

Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech 70, George Mason 62
25 min, 6-6 fg, 0-0 3pt, 6-6 ft, 7 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 3 blk, 2 to, 3 pf, 18 pts

JaMychal Green - Alabama 84, Providence 75
26 min, 4-10 fg, 0-0 3pt, 7-8 ft, 12 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 3 blk, 2 to, 4 pf, 15 pts

Malcolm Lee - UCLA 75, Cal State Bakersfield
35 min, 3-7 fg, 1-3 3pt, 3-6 ft, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 1 to, 1 pf, 10 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/19/09

Getty Images

LEXINGTON, KY - NOVEMBER 19: DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates a made basket during the game against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Rupp Arena on November 19, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky.

DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky 102, Sam Houston State 92
27 min, 10-15 fg, 0-0 3pt, 7-13 ft, 18 reb, 0 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk, 5 to, 1 pf, 27 pts

Cole Aldrich - Kansas 94, Central Arkansas 44
24 min, 3-7 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-2 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 3 blk, 2 to, 2 pf, 7 pts

Xavier Henry - Kansas 94, Central Arkansas 44
23 min, 4-8 fg, 2-3 3pt, 2-2 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 1 to, 2 pf, 12 pts

Evan Turner - North Carolina 77, Ohio State 73
35 min, 9-14 fg, 0-0 3pt, 5-6 ft, 11 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 10 to, 5 pf, 23 pts

Ed Davis - North Carolina 77, Ohio State 73
18 min, 3-4 fg, 0-0 3pt, 1-1 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 0 stl, 2 blk, 3 to, 4 pf, 7 pts

John Henson - North Carolina 77, Ohio State 73
8 min, 1-3 fg, 0-0 3pt, 0-0 ft, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 1 to, 0 pf, 2 pts

Patrick Patterson - Kentucky 102, Sam Houston State 92
32 min, 8-9 fg, 1-2 3pt, 3-4 ft, 9 reb, 2 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 3 to, 2 pf, 20 pts

John Wall - Kentucky 102, Sam Houston State 92
37 min, 7-13 fg, 2-4 3pt, 5-8 ft, 4 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk, 6 to, 1 pf, 21 pts

Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech 59, Dayton 63
27 min, 4-6 fg, 0-0 3pt, 2-4 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 0 stl, 0 blk, 3 to, 3 pf, 10 pts

Jarvis Varnado - Mississippi State 82, Southeastern Louisiana 67
30 min, 6-8 fg, 0-0 3pt, 8-10 ft, 9 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 8 blk, 2 to, 1 pf, 20 pts

Paul George - Fresno State 84, Seattle 85
33 min, 8-13 fg, 2-4 3pt, 6-6 ft, 10 reb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 6 to, 5 pf, 24 pts

Wesley Johnson - Syracuse 95, California 73
32 min, 7-12 fg, 2-4 3pt, 1-2 ft, 11 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 6 blk, 4 to, 2 pf, 17 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/18/09

Reuters Pictures

Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest 83, High Point 60
27 min, 8-10 fg, 0-1 3pt, 6-7 ft, 10 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 2 to, 2 pf, 22 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/17/09

AP Photo

Memphis' Elliot Williams, right, shoots as Kansas' Cole Aldrich defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, in St. Louis.

Cole Aldrich - Kansas 57, Memphis 55
40 min, 7-10 fg, 0-0 3pt, 4-5 ft, 11 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 5 blk, 1 to, 2 pf, 18 pts

Kyle Singler - Duke 101, Charlotte 59
26 min, 5-12 fg, 3-4 3pt, 4-6 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 1 to, 3 pf, 17 pts

Greg Monroe - Georgetown 46, Temple 45
37 min, 4-10 fg, 0-1 3pt, 3-6 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 0 blk, 4 to, 3 pf, 11 pts

Willie Warren - Oklahoma 72, Louisiana-Monroe 61
33 min, 6-12 fg, 1-4 3pt, 11-13 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 0 blk, 4 to, 2 pf, 24 pts

JaMychal Green - Alabama 86, Jackson State 69
22 min, 5-9 fg, 0-1 3pt, 3-6 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 5 blk, 2 to, 4 pf, 13 pts

LOTTERY PROSPECT WATCH - 11/16/09

Reuters Pictures

University of Kentucky's John Wall (11) celebrates hitting a last second shot to defeat Miami University 72-70 in their NCAA basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, November 16, 2009.

John Wall - Kentucky 72, Miami (OH) 70
38 min, 3-7 fg, 1-2 3pt, 10-14 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 5 to, 3 stl, 0 blk, 2 pf, 19 pts

DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky 72, Miami (OH) 70
19 min, 5-15 fg, 0-0 3pt, 10-14 ft, 10 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 2 to, 3 pf, 10 pts

Patrick Patterson - Kentucky 72, Miami (OH) 70
37 min, 5-6 fg, 1-2 3pt, 4-7 ft, 10 reb, 0 ast, 0 stl, 1 blk, 2 to, 1 pf, 17 pts

Kyle Singler - Duke 74, Coastal Carolina 49
36 min, 6-9 fg, 2-5 3pt, 5-5 ft, 11 reb, 1 ast, 0 stl, 2 blk, 2 to, 1 pf, 23 pts

Malcolm Lee - UCLA 65, Cal State Fullerton 68
50 min, 7-21 fg, 1-8 3pt, 2-3 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 0 to, 0 stl, 1 blk, 4 pf, 17 pts

CAP AND CANCER RELIEF

The Warriors just traded Stephen Jackson and Acie Law for Raja Bell and Valdimir Radmanovic. I was hoping for better, but I guess that's all we can get or should expect from a Front Office in as much disarray as the Warriors.

The team gets worse in the short term, but this speeds up the development of the youngsters, moral is boosted, and it most likely allows Maggette to put up monster numbers as one of the main offensive weapons on a depleted roster.

Warriors should look into trading Maggette to a contender at the deadline. I'm sure there will be a team that would look at Maggette's hollow stats and drool (especially for a team looking for additional offensive fire power.) This will put the Warriors in an incredible position if they can take back an expiring or a player with 2 years left. They would be able to target 2011 Free Agents with max dollars because Maggette and Radmanovic would be off the books. They would have up to $20M in cap space to work with if they act responsibly in new player signings.

Here are the current financials:

click image to enlarge

DON'T SCREW THIS UP RILEY/NELLIE/ROWELL!!!!!!

INJURY EXCEPTION?

Medical Watch:

F Brandan Wright (torn labrum) underwent surgery Oct. 9. His recovery time is estimated to be six months, so there's a good chance he won't play at all in 2009-10.

C Andris Biedrins (strained groin and abdominal muscles) has been told to take two weeks off after experiencing what he thought was back pain in the Nov. 7 loss at Sacramento. He will be re-evaluated after the two-week layoff and could miss additional time. He did not accompany the Warriors on their current five-game road trip.

C Ronny Turiaf (sprained left knee) missed a seventh consecutive game after suffering the injury Oct. 30. An MRI revealed no damage, and the Warriors hope to get him back at practice in the next week.

F Kelenna Azubuike (sprained left knee) suffered what was initially diagnosed as a patella injury in his left knee in the third minute of Saturday's loss in Milwaukee. He was carted off the court and sent straight back to Oakland. He will undergo further tests in the Bay Area, missing the Warriors' last two games of their trip. His season could be over.

F Devean George (sore left knee) has yet to see action in the regular season. His injury is not considered serious.


Add C.J. Watson to the list with H1N1 and you are left with only 8 healthy bodies. With Wright and Azubuike out for the remainder of the year, could the Warriors get an 'Injury Exception' to field a competitive squad?



From Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ:

DISABLED PLAYER EXCEPTION -- This exception allows a team which is over the cap to acquire a replacement for a disabled player who will be out for the remainder of that season (if the player is disabled between July 1 and November 30) or the following season (if the player is disabled after November 30). This exception can also be granted in the event of a player's death. This exception can only be used to acquire one player. The maximum salary for the replacement player is 50% of the injured player's salary, or the average salary, whichever is less (see question number 24 for the definition of "average salary"). Approval from the league (based on a determination by an NBA-designated physician) is required for this exception to be used. This exception can be used to sign a free agent, or to create room to accept a salary in trade. When used for trade, the team may acquire a player whose salary (including any trade bonus) is up to 100% of this exception plus $100,000 (not 125%). Also see question number 20 for more information on the availability and use of this exception.

If a player is disabled between July 1 and November 30, the team must acquire the replacement player within 45 days. If the player is disabled between December 1 and June 30, then the team has until October 1 to sign a replacement. If the disabled player comes back sooner than expected, then he may be activated immediately, and the replacement player is not affected. However, if the disabled player comes back before the exception is used, then the exception is lost.

Teams sometimes have had difficulty getting the NBA to approve an injury exception. For example, Danny Manning tore an ACL toward the end of the 1997-98 season, yet the NBA did not approve the Suns for this exception. More recently, the Magic did not receive this exception in 2003 for Grant Hill. However, this exception was granted in the 1999 offseason to San Antonio, so they could replace Sean Elliott, who was disabled due to kidney problems. This exception was also granted to Charlotte soon after Bobby Phills was killed.


Devean George could be activated, but it would be nice to be able to open up a slot on the roster to sign another diamond in the rough from the D-League or be able to stash a prospect coming back from a multi-player trade. The Warriors should be exploring this option if they are not already looking into it.

CRITICAL STRETCH OF GAMES TO DETERMINE FATE OF SEASON

Will Nelson last until the end of the road trip?

Unless the Warriors manage to avoid a losing streak, things are just going to snowball quickly. Up next are the resurgent Bucks tonight, followed by a back-to-back gauntlet of Celtics and Cavaliers. Then they travel back home to face the Trailblazers, away vs. the Mavs, Spurs, and Lakers. It don't look good folks.

Nelson's skill as a talent evaluator and BS artist are better suited for the Front Office. Even with a move to the general manager role, can he be trusted? I think so, but players might not help feeling a little paranoid about their future on the team. But then again, they probably would welcome a change of scenery. Regarless, it's time to make a coaching change, rid ourselves of the mind games, and hope winning salvages a Warriors/Jackson relationship similar to how a tenuous Brandon Marshall/Denver Broncos relationship was repaired by winning. I'm willing to see how Keith Smart does as interim coach for the year. I enjoy the style of play and think that with the right personnel, it can succeed (John Wall anyone?)

Rowell's attempt to dip into the basketball realm of decision making and promises of a veteran team to Ellis and Jackson started this mess. He tried to befriend the two stars and indicated that the Warriors would build around the two and use the 2009 Draft Pick to bring in a veteran big. Obviously, this did not happen because Amare Stoudemire would not agree to a reasonable extension and Nelson refused to give up Curry in the deal. Nellie's mind games exacerbated the situation and his political moves are geared towards taking over Rowell's spot in the organization. Rowell needs to concentrate solely on the business/marketing side of the Warriors and leave ALL basketball decisions to the experts.

IF the Warriors can win tonight and compete (and win a couple) through the Lakers game, there's a chance Nellie could stick around as coach and the relationships could be salvaged. It's unlikely, but possible. A strong stretch of games could turn Jackson and the rest of his followers into a believers. If they lose seven in a row, look for the team to go through a drastic make-over.

RANDOLPH WORKING AT CENTER

Tonight [box score], Anthony Randolph outplayed the ginormous Roy Hibbert, not by trying to out muscle him, but by beating him to spots, using his quickness, and staying down with his arms extended to challenge shots w/o fouling. With more experience, he'll learn to defend the most talented post players - did well vs. Al Jefferson last game [box score].

His mid-range game is coming along and once its consistent, it's game over.... match-up nightmare in the making. Randolph will be able to excel in all 3 front-court positions. To long and wiring strong for small forwards. He's a natural PF. With more maturity both physically and as a player, he'll be able to exploit centers. We got a sneak preview of things to come the past two games. Not bad for a 20 year old.

Wright/Randoph/Biedrins/Turiaf will be a very good frontline --- imagine if we added a talented, beefy PF from what promises to be very deep draft in that position.

1. Derrick Favors
2. Donatas Motiejunas (Dirk 2.0)
3. Ed Davis (skinny but skilled)
4. Greg Monroe
5. DeMarcus Cousins (if he can keep his weight in check)

Warriors don't have to tank to get a good PF this year. Just trade Jackson and give plenty of minutes to Curry, Morrow, Randolph, Ellis, Biedrins and the rest of the young guys. We'll most likely be a mid-lottery team.

SAVE US JOHN WALL

Barring a mass movement to ridicule and shame Golden State Warrior owner, Chris Cohan, into selling the team, yet another tanked season seems to be the best bet to turn the franchise fortunes around.

I was optimistic about this season, but since I made the blog entry, Larry Riley and Don Nelson had done nothing of substance to improve the roster during the much anticipated off-season that promised to be busier and more productive than usual. The big addition was Stephen Curry, who by early accounts, looks to be a solid PG in-the-making. Key players off the team are Jamal Crawford and Marco Belinelli. The Warriors did well in moving Crawford for Law and an expiring Claxton, but wasted an asset in Belinelli. He was the consummate team player, always played with great effort, and had vastly improved on the defensive end. With Jackson's trade demands, Nellie even expressed some regret in trading Belinelli.

The two biggest areas of need, a true PG and a prototypical PF, were inadequately addressed. Stephen Curry might turn out to be a very good player, but drafting Brandon Jennings instead would have been a great fit in terms of adding a ready-made true PG, speed on a running team, and a player with reliable handles to push the tempo and initiate the offense with greater ease.

The Warriors were satisfied with going into the season with 5 bigs, Randolph and Wright at PF and Biedrins, Turiaf, and Mikki Moore at C. With Wright possibly gone for the season, Nelson opts to play small forwards at the 4 since they decided to focus on building an army of smalls (Ellis, Curry, Claxton, Watson) instead of investing in a backup big. The error in their ways was no more obvious than in the horrible debacle last Friday night vs. the woeful Clippers. I was certain that the Warriors would lose due to the absence of Biedrins and Turiaf, but was utterly disgusted by the way the team collectively lost their will to compete early in the 3rd Quarter, ultimately resulting in a 29 point loss. Nothing they tried worked and they were out-played at every position. Our smalls were eaten alive by Baron Davis and Eric Gordon while our bigs were over-matched by Chris Kamen and Marcus Camby. It became painfully obvious that they don't have the proper personnel to play successful small ball. If you don't have a big, true PG like Baron Davis that can guard multiple positions, your set up to fail. Ellis and Curry might have the ability to create steal opportunities with their speed and fast hands, but they are too small to overcome big guards that can score and have good ball security. If they continue with a backcourt of Curry and Ellis, they MUST develop an athletic front line of Randolph and Biedrins who could make up for the defensive mismatch at the guard positions. NO MORE UNDERSIZED POWER FORWARDS.

I was hopeful for a shot at the 8th seed in a deep draft rich with Power Forwards, but with the Stephen Jackson drama, Nelson's apathy, an unbalanced roster, inexperience, and poor chemistry, they might be better off working hard to trade Jackson and aiming for a high draft pick. If things don't improve by the end of December, it's time to dedicate as many minutes as possible to Randolph, Morrow, and Curry and to tank for John Wall.