Golden State Warriors 2006-07 Season Preview

The 66-year-old Nelson takes over for Mike Montgomery, who parted ways with the Warriors despite still having two years left on a four-year contract. Montgomery had been the Warriors head coach the previous two seasons and posted a disappointing record of 68-96.

The 2005-06 season started off great for the Warriors, who won 12 of their first 18 games and looked like they were going to have a serious chance of making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 1994. However, it was not meant to be. Golden State started to lose games in bunches and finished the campaign with a dismal 34-48 record.

Golden State has a lot of talent. Baron Davis and 25-year-old Jason Richardson makeup a dynamic backcourt, while Ike Diogu, Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy are solid forwards. Mickael Pietrus and centers Adonal Foyle and Andris Biedrins give the Warriors depth.

Richardson led the Warriors in scoring (23.2 ppg), while Murphy was the team’s top rebounder (10.0 rpg) and Davis dished out a team-best 8.9 assists per game. Davis also averaged 17.9 points per game and Murphy netted 14.0 per contest.

The 26-year-old Dunleavy registered 11.5 points per game in his fourth year in the league, while Diogu averaged 7.0 points and 3.3 boards in 69 games during his rookie campaign.

Bradley center Patrick O’Bryant was selected with the ninth overall pick in the draft by Golden State, while veteran guard Derek Fisher was traded during the offseason to the Utah Jazz.

Executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin didn’t like how the team was performing under Montgomery and made a needed change. Nelson will try and breathe new life into the Warriors. There is talent but someone needs to find a way to put it all together. Is Nelson the man to do it?

BACKCOURT

Davis and Richardson are an exciting tandem. However, the 27-year-old Davis, who is entering his eighth season in the league, needs to stay healthy for them to have the full impact that the Warriors need. Both excel in a an up- tempo game and are electric in the open court.

With Fisher no longer on the roster, Golden State will be counting heavily on Pietrus, who averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 51 contests, and Monta Ellis. The 24-year-old Pietrus can also play small forward and will backup Richardson.

Twenty-one-year-old Ellis is entering his second year in the league. He contributed 6.8 points, 2.1 boards and 1.6 assists last season. The 6-3 Ellis can play both spots in the backcourt and will get his chance to show his stuff with the departure of Fisher.

FRONTCOURT

There is a ton of potential here. Murphy has been consistent and gives the Warriors scoring in the low post. However, Golden State is still waiting for Dunleavy to find some consistency and become more of a scorer.

The 6-9 Dunleavy, who was originally selected out of Duke by Golden State in the first round (third overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft, has a career-average of 10.5 points in 317 outings. Dunleavy has made 43.0 percent of his shots from the floor including 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Warriors need more from their former first-round pick.

Diogu, who will get a big increase in playing time this season, should continue to improve during his sophomore season, while Biedrins, Foyle and O’Bryant will compete for playing time in the middle. Pietrus and Richardson should get time at small forward when Dunleavy is on the pine.

OUTLOOK

Mullin hired Nelson to get the Warriors back to the postseason. There is talent on the roster, but it doesn’t seem like it is the right mix. If the team doesn’t buy into Nelson’s system and show signs that they can compete for a playoff berth, Mullin will most likely try and shakeup the roster big time during the season.

Another below .500 record and a ticket for the lottery is what seems to be in the Warriors’ future. If that happens, look for Mullin to shop Davis, Dunleavy, Murphy and Richardson. He won’t trade them all, but two of Golden State’s best players could be in new uniforms before season’s end.