When the Golden State Warriors pulled the trigger on the blockbuster Monta Ellis trade, they made the calculated decision to take a hit this season.
Fast forward six weeks and 22 losses in 28 games, and that hit from the March 13 deal felt more like a meteor crashing into their season. The season that once started as a playoff quest ended in a jaw-dropping spiral. But all was not lost for the Warriors.
The 2011-12 season produced a few positive results in which Golden State can find solace.
“I’ve been around long enough to appreciate the process and feel comfortable with the foundation that has been laid,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “Guys know that things are different around here. Guys know how we approach every single game and every single practice. It’s been a lot of fun, and I am really excited about what lies ahead for us.”
Arguably the brightest glimmer came in the form of rookie Klay Thompson. He became the shooting guard with the departure of Ellis and performed well enough to be penciled in to the next season’s starting lineup.
After being left out of the All-Star Weekend showcase of NBA rookies and sophomores, Thompson has generated some buzz for first-team All-Rookie. In 29 games as a starter, all but one coming after the Ellis trade, Thompson averaged 18.1 points and 3.0 assists in 33.9 minutes. He grew from spot-up shooter to someone capable of creating off the dribble. He had Jackson calling him a veteran and veteran teammates constantly singing his praises.
It bears noting that in a lost season, Thompson played with little pressure and had a permanent green light. Still, he did enough for Warriors management to salivate at the thought of a starting backcourt featuring Thompson and point guard Stephen Curry.
“I think both Curry and Klay, what they both do well is they’re very smart and they’re very skilled,” general manager Bob Myers said. “So you put two guys out there that know the game and have a tremendous skill in shooting the basketball, even when they don’t have the ball in their hands you have to respect their shot. . . . We haven’t seen it yet really. We’ve seen a little of it, but not enough to really gauge it. But if the question is, ‘Do we believe it can work?’ Yeah, I believe it can work.”
Another bright spot was a couple jewels the Warriors found in free agency: Brandon Rush and Dominic McGuire. The two forwards were last-minute additions – McGuire was signed as a free agent for less than a million dollars, and Rush was acquired from Indiana for Lou Amundson – who emerged as crucial role players.
Both are free agents, but Golden State is in good position to keep them – Rush because he’ll be a restricted free agent and McGuire because he wants to come back and figures to be affordable. Either stands to be, at the very least, a valuable reserve next season.
But some of the credit for Rush and McGuire goes partly to another positive from the season: Jackson.
He was hired in June largely because of his leadership and motivational skills, and this season’s difficulties gave him the chance to back up the hype. Jackson managed to keep his players motivated. Golden State avoided locker room drama, and several players, some privately, expressed a desire to play under Jackson.
“He was a players’ coach,” McGuire, who was playing for his seventh coach in five seasons, said of Jackson. “He let everybody play their game. . . . He’s constantly giving you confidence, and that’s big in this league. Everything in this league is about confidence.”
Myers confirmed Jackson would be back, nipping any potential speculation in the bud. He said he looks forward to seeing Jackson bring out the best in a healthy, talented roster.
Jackson suggested he can’t wait, oddly illustrated through an analogy of his new dog. After the Warriors lost their season ender Thursday, Jackson told of how this dog he came home to, a tiny German Shepherd, constantly barked at his old dog, which was much bigger and quieter. The German Shepherd kept barking and barking, while the big dog just stared.
“The little dog looked crazy,” Jackson said, “but what he was saying was, ‘You’re bigger than me now, but I’m going to see you one day.’ I look at my team that way. We’ve been barking quite a bit. But the day will come when we are fully mature and fully grown. And the big dog’s going to have to deal with us.”
