By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

OAKLAND — If 3-pointers represent the fast food of NBA offenses, then last season’s Warriors were, collectively speaking, a cholesterol-choked, fat-filled heart attack waiting to happen.

Golden State’s gunners jacked up 2,185 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc in 2007-08, establishing a new all-time NBA single-season record in the process. The total would have probably been even higher if they hadn’t made a draft-day deal that sent Jason Richardson to Charlotte — where he launched 599 treys for the Bobcats, tops in the league.

This season, the Warriors’ attack looks like it’s on a double-strength regimen of Lipitor. And it’s Dr. Don Nelson who’s writing that prescription.

“Hopefully, (the 3-pointer) won’t be as big a weapon,” Nelson said. “I thought we fell in love too much with the 3 last year occasionally. The guys that can shoot it, when they’re open, they have a green light when they have a rhythm shot, but we’re not going to set up plays for it.”

Golden State – which has led the NBA for two years running in 3-point attempts — ranked eighth among NBA teams in terms of 3-point shots taken during this year’s preseason, more than 50 percent behind the league-leading Knicks of Mike D’Antoni.

Where the ‘07-08 team counted six legitimate 3-point threats among its eight regular rotation players, this year’s edition has only five in the top nine. And that math is misleadingly close, because this year’s crop of shooters includes Al Harrington (who detested his niche as a 3-point-shooting big man last season), Corey Maggette (who said Monday that he would rather drive than hoist from distance), and C.J. Watson (who’s taken all of 26 treys in his NBA career).

That leaves just Stephen Jackson and Kelenna Azubuike to uphold the traditions of the NBA’s most prolific long-range squad, which lost Baron Davis (525 3-point attempts last season), Matt Barnes (181) and Mickael Pietrus (182) this summer.

“I’m not really thinking about it like, ‘We lost a bunch of (guys who shot) 3s, so I’ve got to get some more 3s up,’” Azubuike said. “I feel like we can score in different ways. I feel like I can score in different ways. I don’t have to shoot 3s all the time. . . . Make the right play, take the right shot. Don’t force a 3 because you feel we need to get some up.”

Having taken a big jump to a career high…

The deafening silence from Monta Ellis’ camp finally ended this evening when Jeff Fried, Ellis’ agent, released a statement on behalf of his client.

ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard has the full story here, and it confirms what Ellis made apparent yesterday with his no-comment brush past the local media: That he will be fighting the 30-game suspension handed down by the team after Ellis wracked his left ankle while engaging in the contractually prohibited activity of riding a 250cc moped. Broussard reported that the appeal will be filed next week.

Some highlights of Ellis’ statement:

“While management and I do not agree on their actions, I want to be clear that my injury is based on my mistake in judgment. And I always accept responsibility for my actions. . . .

“I am working hard to get back on the court and help my teammates and coaches win many games and recreate the playoff atmosphere of 2007. We were as excited on the court as the fans in the stands. . . .

“The Bay area has become home to me and I love everything about this community. I see the kids wearing Number 8 in the arena and around the Bay area and it always brings a big smile to my face and a sense of pride and responsibility.”

– Geoff

Just a quick update from 1011 Broadway:

Forwards Corey Maggette (strained right hamstring) and Brandan Wright (mildly sprained left ankle) are on the floor scrimmaging with the Warriors as this is being written at 12:15 pm, so barring an adverse reaction to the workouts — or a further injury — the Warriors should have their expected starting five and key rotation players available for Wednesday’s season opener against the New Orleans Hornets.

– Geoff

By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

OAKLAND — Anthony Randolph may have stood alongside the Warriors’ four other rookies Sunday as they delivered an off-key, warbling rendition of Stevie Wonder’s arrangement of “Happy Birthday” to guard Monta Ellis, who just turned 23 years old. But that was about the only time Randolph resembled a rookie during Golden State’s annual open practice.

Randolph started early during the scrimmage session by dunking with relish over veteran Al Harrington. Later, he threatened to deliver a knee to Harrington’s sternum while swooping in for a layup. Finally, he shot a withering look to second-year guard Marco Belinelli when the Italian and he got tangled up filling the same lane on a fast break.

So much for rookies not making an impression.

Warriors captain Stephen Jackson helped keep Randolph in check by juking past him from the right wing and flushing a two-handed jam as the 19-year-old tried vainly to block it.

“They only remember the last dunk, so Jack got that,” Randolph said. “I got him. (Revenge) is coming. Y’all might not see it, but it’s coming.”

For his part, Harrington chalked up Randolph’s successes to a veteran’s prudence.

“I wasn’t trying to block the shot,” Harrington said of Randolph’s tomahawk. “That was fake hustle. You know that. Everybody knows that.”

And as for the retreat on Randolph’s knees-up drive?

“I got out of the way on that one,” said Harrington, who attempted to take a charge on Randolph earlier but was whistled for a block instead. “I could have got another (charge), but these refs probably would have called a blocking foul. He probably would have kneed off of me and dunked. It would have been all bad.”

** A team source confirmed the examiner.com report that rookie forward Rob Kurz will officially become the Warriors’ final cut Monday, an unsurprising move that secures a roster spot for fellow rookie guard Anthony Morrow.

It looked like Kurz might have been informed of the move prior to practice; his most memorable sequence involved getting blocked in quick succession by Kelenna Azubuike (while trying to exploit his size advantage in the low block) and Andris Biedrins.

** Ellis came dressed in an almost entirely monochromatic outfit (his sweatpants had white stripes on the outside), but unlike Johnny Cash, this Man in Black had nothing to say.

Ellis, moving briskly on crutches and wearing regular sneakers, walked past the assembled media outside the Warriors’ locker room (since it was still considered a…

Sorry for the delay, the news of Don Nelson’s impending extension got in the way. Please note that this Q&A came before news of Nelson’s deal broke, so they “do you want to be here without Nellie” line of questioning made more sense.

– Geoff

48minutes.net: Are you concerned about hitching your wagon to a team where the executive vice president (Chris Mullin) and the coach (Don Nelson) may not be here beyond this season?

Stephen Jackson: Well, that’s things I can’t control. I can control…

48minutes.net: But you could control it by saying, “You know what? I’m going to play out my deal and see what’s out there and see what situation two years from now best fits me.”

SJ: I’m one of those guys that focus on the situation at hand. I’m here now, so I’m going to plan on being here. I can speak on the coach situation: I would love to play for Nellie until I retire. That’s no question. I would love for him to be here as long as I am here. That’s a given. He’s the best coach and my favorite coach I’ve played for since I’ve been in the league.

I really don’t know the other situation. I respect Chris as being a player, because he laid the concrete for a lot of guys like me to be in this league, so I have respect for him, but I really don’t know the situation. But with coach, I definitely hope his stuff goes well because he deserves it, he has some of the most wins ever and is one of the best coaches in the league and I want to be here with him. So I definitely don’t mind speaking on coach’s situation.

48minutes.net: That’s what I mean – if Nellie doesn’t come back and the coach ends up being someone you clash with, why tie yourself down when you don’t know who that guy might be?

SJ: Well, being 30 years old, at this point it’s not about worrying where I’m going to be, it’s worrying about security. I’ve had a great contract and I’m fine. If I stopped playing right now, I’d be living great for the rest of my life. But at the same time, knowing that I have at least five or six more years, whatever the Lord blesses me with, however many more years I can play, I’m kind of at the point where I can deal with anything. I’m at…