Time for Change: Players and Coach

The Finals have ended and now it is time to shift attention from the league's best back to the NBA's lower percentile as the NBA draft takes place next week. The Warriors have the 7th overall selection, but need get a boost in more than one position, point guard and power forward.

A recent post in Tim Kawakami's "Talking Points" discusses a recent visit paid to Monta Ellis in Memphis by coach Don Nelson and GM Larry Riley with the intentions of quelling Ellis' discontent with the direction of the team. The bottom line, according to Kawakami's post is that Ellis will throw a hall of fame hissy fit if the Warriors draft a point guard in with 7th pick, a distinct possibility. I say let him.

I'm a Monte Ellis guy. I love Monte's game, but he lost some respect last year after getting injured. From Monte's perspective, he probably felt cheated for getting fined $3 million by team president Robert Rowell after the moped incident. I don't care what Nelson told Ellis in his visit ("we won't draft a play-making point guard, pinky promise"). Nelson is going to draft who the heck he wants despite how the young star feels.

As the Warriors players have changed, so has the need for a change in this team's philosophy. As Bob Dylan once said, "Oh the times, they are changing." Let me be more specific: Don Nelson is not the right coach for the Warriors current personnel. I know there are still a bunch of 'we believers' out there still romanticized by the 2006-07 Warriors team that made the playoffs and thrilled the basketball world. Wake up! Those days are history. No Baron, no J-Rich, no Harrington, no Barnes...

The Warriors need to get tougher on defense and get stronger on the front line. If they could pick up Jordan Hill or Hasheem Thabeet, the front line would lead the league in blocks. The Warriors need to bring in toughness, not another offensive weapon who plays soft defense like Jamal Crawford.

Championship teams are anchored by a dominant big man, a scorer who is un-guardable one-on-one, and a group of tough role players to compete on defense and hit open shots when called upon...(Gasol, Bryant, Ariza) The W's are far from this Championship composition and will not make progress toward it, that is, until the Nelson era is done.

Be Sure To Check out The Bay Area Sports Journal For Draft Prospect Reports!