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Nov20
Wright’s bench time shouldn’t surprise
Filed under: Commentary; Tagged as: Al Harrington, Anthony Morrow, Brandan Wright, Chris Mullin, Corey Maggette, Don Nelson, Greg Oden, Henry Abbott, Kelenna Azubuike, Nate McMillan, Robert RowellBy Geoff Lepper
48minutes.netHenry Abbott over at TrueHoop wrote a nice (and completely correct) piece about how the boxscore may have fooled people into thinking Greg Oden had a great game against the Warriors on Tuesday, when in point of fact just the opposite was true, and Portland probably would have been better served to keep him on the bench.
The twist? Abbott, a true Blazer fanatic, had NO PROBLEM with the decision to keep Oden out there.
“I’m thrilled at Nate McMillan’s conviction to spend time on Oden, and to keep featuring him even if it costs the team games. Even if the costs are non-trivial, getting Greg Oden confident is one of the best investments a coach can make, because he’s only showing us a fraction of what’s to come.”
I bring this up not just as a means for sucking up to one of the NBA blogosphere’s tastemakers (although that’s always a nice side benefit).
It’s interesting because I think Abbott’s sentiments match the feelings of Warrior fans who want to see more of a certain second-year forward. Substitute Don Nelson’s name for McMillan’s and Brandan Wright’s name for Oden, and you have a pretty good idea of how that faction of Golden State’s faithful look at this team right now.
The only problem?
Nelson is in thrall to the mismatch. It’s practically an addiction for him. And that’s why the allure of playing Corey Maggette, all 6-foot-6 of him, at power forward is just too strong for Nelson to withstand.
Taking Al Harrington out of the equation — thus leaving Nelson with the options of playing Wright 30 minutes a night at the 4 vs. Maggette — just cleared the way for Nelson to go small.
(Cynical folks might think that’s why Nellie was oh-so-willing to give Harrington as many minutes as possible in the first few games: Either Harrington would give him great production, which makes Nelson’s job easier, or he would bomb completely, helping Nelson usher Maggette into his new spot.)
Team president Robert Rowell said that he gave Nelson an extension through the 2010-11 season in part so that “it wasn’t all about picking up those 53 wins (to catch Lenny Wilkens as the NBA’s all-time leader in coaching victories) all within the first 53 games of the season.”
But that’s exactly the way Nelson coaches. He’s said it himself: “I’m only going to bring the guys along that are ready to play in an NBA game.” He’s never been a guy who would give a youngster 20 minutes a night just for the sake of development when a game can still be won.
And Nelson is convinced, at least for now, that Maggette at the 4 will win him more games.
Chris Mullin said to me way back at the start of training camp that Wright’s biggest problem was his lack of a specific identity as a player. He had no facet of his game that was so outstanding it would demand playing time for him, night after night.
“Brandan is still feeling out what that is,” Mullin said. “He does flashes of rebounding, he does block a shot, he does put it on the floor in the open court and make a nice move. He’s got to find something – and this is not really (specific) to Nellie or myself – that the coach really feels comfortable that he’s going to do, that he can rely on. . . .
“He’s got to figure out what staple of his game is going to make him Brandan Wright. What’s that going to be?”
The biggest asset for Maggette, on the other hand, is easily identifiable: He is strong enough and armed with a quick enough first step to bull his way past most forwards and earn at least a pair of free throws (which he converts at 81.9 percent lifetime), if not an and-one situation.
Nelson knows what he’s going to get from Maggette, and how he can exploit that trick to his best advantage. There is no such certainty with Wright at this point.
Eventually, opponents will solve the Maggette-at-4 puzzle. Or they’ll make it too expensive by punishing Maggette at the defensive end. Or he’ll just pop another hamstring and be forced to sit out for two weeks. (Or maybe Kelenna Azubuike’s sprained left knee, which could keep him out of Friday’s game, will force Nelson to move Jackson and Maggette back to the 2/3 spots, thus putting Wright back in the mix.)
Until then, however, Wright’s fans should be prepared for some disappointing box scores.
** The Anthony Morrow legend just keeps building. Witness the ever-growing compendium of Anthony Morrow Facts here.
I’m a sucker for the pop culture references such as, “Agent Smith now realizes that the sound of inevitability is the swish of an Anthony Morrow shot.”
Here’s my contribution:
Kobayashi once tried to threaten Anthony Morrow into missing a shot. Morrow said, “I am Keyser Soze,” then swished it.
21 Responses to “Wright’s bench time shouldn’t surprise”
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commish November 20th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Geoff, I’d like to say great minds think alike because I was hoping someone was going to (critically I hoped) pick up on Nelson salivating to get small again. Moving Maggette to the 4 must get those 67 year old juices flowing and sends one of our future stars to the bench and sits him down until something happens to Maggette or Bukie or whomever (as you pointed out). This is a crying shame and I can’t stand thinking that we have almost three more years of this insanity. I was reading in another blog where some poster said (not to me) that Nellie is the coach and if you don’t like, start watching another team. In a way he’s right but I don’t want to root for another team as I do for the Dubs. It was just that I was hoping Nellie would be smoking stoggies and drinking whatever on his beach in Maui. Damn, let the young and restless have their shot. Geoff, good post but very painful to read.
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Thanks for mentioning the Anthony Morrow Facts. Yours will be on the blog tomorrow. Keep up the great work. And I’d like to see BW get more time, and AR too. Guess you got to take the good with the bad when it comes to Nellie. Can’t say I imagined this team being competitive at the beginning of the year.
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Thank you for writing this post…i am currently writing a post that is going ot be titled “I HATE Nellie’s smallball”…it’s been bothering me all day
I also think that Kellenna needs to be moved to the bench…coming off the bench to be a ballhog will be much more effective aqnd give me less of a headache. I still dont think he has an assist this year. It will also balance out bench production and give BRANDON WRIGHT SOME FREAKING PLAYING TIME at the 4 spot….
AB, BW, Jack, Morrow and Maggette is what the starting lineup should be….
In the past Nellie has stated that he plays smallball because they dont have bigs that can be effective….You can easily understand when your only legit Big is AB and his backups are Harrington and O’Bust…but the Dubs finally have some young talent in the post and Nellie’s stubborn arce is absolutely killing ht efuture of the franchise….BW and AR (as terrible as he is on offense) should absolutely get regular playing time…especially BW. BW and AR along with the already established Monta and AB should be the future of this franchise….instead we get too watch the watch Maggette post up and draw a foul offense or Kaz and Jack’s pull up a 3 and brick offense….The only player that should shoot outside of 19 ft should be Morrow and occasionally Jack.
The one defensive stength we have this year is the ability to block shots and protect the rim….and we are not taking advantage of that….
When BW gets playing itme, he produces…he gets garbage points, O boards, easy dunks and layups and BLOCKS SHOTS!!!
As happy i was to see the Dubs beat the Blazers, i was equally pissed that Nellie played the stupid gimmick offense…..and the only reason that worked was because Aldridge had an off night….it had absolutely nothing to do with Maggette’s D….NOTHING…
so frustrating….the future looked bright, now Nellie has pulled the curtains and has gone for a short term fix….
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Is it hard to watch Wright sitting most of his time? Yes it is.
Would I prefer Maggette at 3? Don`t know. If it works as against the Blazers it is just fine. It becomes a problem when Nelsons stubborness kicks in and he relies on it in days Maggette sucks or this simply does not work.But I can absolutly understand Nelsons approach. He wants to win and shockingly the POs are in reach even without Monta. Giving away the season so early would be a shame and I strongly appreciate Nelsons desire to get wins. Wright is a promise but also he has his very hurting weaknesses. He will get his time when he can be used or the season is lost or a game is burned.
That is fine with me. -
Maggette at PF was all but certain. If Nellie put M. Pietris at PF, why not the stronger Maggette?
Nekllie will keep Maggette at PF until it stops working, does more harm than good.
Maggette has got to get to the foul line, get the opponent into foul trouble and earn points with 81% FT shooting.
Against a young, skinny Aldridge, it worked.
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WAKE up, Wake up, AL Harrington has been traded to NY. But for who??? According to Ric Bucher(sportscenter report) its for Jamal Crawford. According to Peter Vecsey its for Malik Rose. Either way, both are yuck! Rose is worthless, Crawford is Crawful. Man..
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David E November 21st, 2008 at 7:56 am
The writing around the Warriors just amazes me. You would think you guys are writing about a storied franchise that has a long tradition of winning and can afford to just dump a few seasons while the young guys develop. What hooey. You haven’t won since Nelson was there the last time. You have to win some games to put people in the stands. Wright will be fine. Remember Jermaine O’Neill? These guys now come out of college with boys’ bodies to play a man’s game. Developing physically takes time. And, last but not least, don’t you watch the games? With Wright and Bedrins on the court, teams just pack it in the lane, giving Maggette and Jackson nowhere to go in the lane. Your angle on this is not smart business-wise (it’s the pros, remember), basketball-wise (losing is tougher on young guys than sitting), or journalistically (your blog has already become a whinner). Wise up, study the game some, read some books about basketball. Give us some insight. If I just wanted to hear another fan, I can go to any of the forums and get miles and miles of unknowing.
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I agree with David E
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petaluman November 21st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Nelson’s been saying all along that we’ll know a lot more after 30 games. We’ll know if we have any shot at the playoffs; we’ll know if Monta is back, and if he has any initial limitations to his game; we may well know the resolution to the Harrington situation.
At that point, there are still 52 games left - far longer than a college season. What do players like Jackson, Morrow, Watson, Azubuike, and Kurz all have in common? They all had the character to stick with it and continue developing, even though they were undrafted (or in Jackson’s case, failed to stick the first time around). They all entered the NBA years older than Wright or Randolph, and serve as a reminder that you can get into the league on potential, but you stay there by working hard on your game.
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M.Squared November 21st, 2008 at 11:28 am
First off- No one is talking about dumping a season. Wright is ready and should be playing now. He can help them win and make them stronger in future years, rather than go into his 3rd season with no game experience and limited value because of that. Teams pack it in the lane becuase they are hoping that the Warriors will stand on the 3 point line and shoot all day and lose.
Jermiane O’Neal came into the league with RAW with only high school games under his belt and was drafted 17th. He was 17 years old. He wasn’t able to contribute- so he sat.
Wright was taken with the 8th pick and had starred for a year in college- he is 21 and has shown that he can play now but needs minutes to grow.
On top of this-O’Neil was playing behind all-stars on a winner- while Wright was playing behind unhappy Harrington.
The Warriors didnt win for 12 years because their owner is a moron and doesnt know anything about basketball or how to hire basketball people and stay out of the way.
Beyond all of this- I can’t recall the Warriors hurting for attendance. Wright could be as productive as Al Horford (A STARTING AND STARRING ROOKIE CENTER IN LAST YEARS PLAYOFFS) - but we won’t know unless he gets the experience to play. -
Geoff Lepper November 21st, 2008 at 12:19 pm
David: I’ve watched all the Warriors’ games this season, multiple times. And I can tell you with certainty that teams didn’t just pack the lane when Wright was on the floor with AB. They packed the lane against EVERYBODY until Anthony Morrow got some run and gave the Warriors their first legitimate 3-point threat all year long.
Also, you say “angle” and “whiner” (well, “whinner”) as though I have some stake in the matter. I don’t care one way or the other. I’m just reporting on what’s happening — that folks who want to see Brandan on the floor more often (who have been fairly vocal on here and other places) should get used to the fact that Maggette at the 4 is, based on the evidence at hand, probably going to be a long-term situation.
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JustPuked November 21st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
With Crawford on board, the pile burying Wright on the bench just got deeper.
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Geoff, what’s up man? why not comment on the Crawford trade?
The more I think about this, the more I like it. Yes, it hurts cap space for 2010, but let’s be honest. There’s a lot of time between now and then. Let’s get the best team on the floor and have some fun. We had a shi$%y team for too long and i’m not ready for another couple years of 20 - 30 win teams. Crawford is one of the few guys that you can match with Monta in the back court and be just fine.
The comparison i’m hoping for with Crawford is Billups. Remember Billups was a high draft pick who every one labeled as a bust. He bounced around with a few teams and queitly got better at each stop. He found his niche w/ Detroit and became a star. Crawford has been very similar, being highly touted as a “big PG” but falling flat on his face at first. He has gotten much better w/ his game (20 pts, 5 assist last year. Hollinger has his PER at 16+ this year) each year AND has devolped into the go to guy in crunch time for the Knicks. Could we have just stolen our new “Mr. Big Shot?”
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JustPuked November 21st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
David E.
The Warriors have won 3 NBA championships. That’s tied for fifth most in NBA history along with the Pistons and 76ers and ahead of “Storied” Franchises like the Knicks, Rockets and TrailBlazers. Thanks for sharing your unknowing, it was illuminating.
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Ohh No. Jamal Crawford.
I’m Chicagoan, my brother used to put the All-star Ballot boxes out at the old Chicago Stadium. We know this Jerry Kraus SG/PG pick.
Issiah Thomas lured him to NY with a very large contract - Chicago refused to match it.
He didn’t get better in NY, and I doubt he’s learned that much besides making excuses for playing on losing teams.
Crawford is undisciplined. He played for Chicago when they sicked and then played for the knicks when the kincks sucked.
Look at a players stats but also at the winning percentage of his career. Crawford’s never been a winner.
He’s famous for taking the ball up court, dribbling between his legs and jacking up a shot.
Larry Hughes Light.
Nellie will be yanking this guy early and often. Maybe Jax can talk some sense into him. Maybe Nellie will convince him to follow directions. Maybe I’ll get a pony for XMAS.
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Joe,
Nellie was going to give Al Harrington all the time he wanted until he (nellie) leaked the story to the press so he can get out of his promise….Crawford is a vet and 45% from 3 pt range (i couldnt believe it either)…plus he is a 1000 times better running the break than CJ….
rest assured that JCraw will have the green light and that he wont be shy about chuckin it up…he can also create his own shot which is a neccessity on the Dubs and a reason why Nellie will let him do what he wants.
watch out for the Monta (when healthy), JCraw, Morrow, Jack and Maggette lineup….
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M.Squared November 21st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
They shoulda held out for David Lee to be included in the pkg.
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