From Dennis Velasco,
Your Guide to Basketball.
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GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
by Fantasy Junkie of Golden State of Mind

Players Playing Well: Baron Davis - You could have made an argument for him to be in the All-Star game, and if he didn’t have minor surgery before the game, he might have been an injury reserve. He was carrying this team as Jason Richardson heals from his 2 injuries. Without Baron, this team would not be anywhere close in this playoff race. He should be back from his injury within the next two weeks, and in that time, if the Warriors can hold on, it’ll be exciting to finally see Boom Dizzle and JRich on the court at the same time.

Monta Ellis - He’s exploding onto the scene. He does everything at 300mph and rarely is there a single defender that can stay in front of him. Early in the season, the book on him was to force him left, but he’s adjusted and can now beat a defender either way. The Rookie-Sophomore All-Star game put his talents on stage in front of the whole world and he didn’t disappoint as he dropped 28. So, in just his second year at 21 years of age, Warrior fans are hoping for a Gilbert Arenas type of rise out of this 2nd rounder.

Andris Biedrins - This could be your Most Improved Player award winner. He’s really blossomed in his third year as he’s improved his scoring, rebounding, and defense. The biggest improvement? He’s staying in the game and not fouling out. He’s averaging nearly a double-double along with 2 blocks per game with a robust 61% field goal percentage. He’s really just getting started and has a bright future ahead of him.

Players Playing Poorly: The 3 that were playing poorly are now gone. Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and Ike Diogu were all traded away in the 8 player deal that brought Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington to the Bay. Who else is playing poorly? The entire team defense and rebounding. Recently the team has been rebounding better, but without a legit power forward (no Al Harrington and Mickael Pietrus do not count) this team struggles to control the glass and keep opponents from getting second chance points. Defense has never been Nellie’s strong suit, but this is ridiculous. Opponents shoot the lights out against the Warriors as they give up open shots and clear paths to the bucket.

Where They Stand: The 25-29 record at this point is somewhat of a disappointment given the hype that surrounded Don Nelson’s return to coaching. But with injuries galore, the team has struggled to find consistency as Nellie tinkers with the starting rotation depending on the matchup. Despite the inconsistency and the disappointing record, the team is just 1 game out of the 8th spot in the playoffs. They’re looking up at Minnesota in 8th with the Clippers and Hornets tied for 9th, just a half game back.

Looking Ahead: Soon, Jason Richardson will return as will Baron Davis. Neither will be at the same level they were before, JRich of last season and Baron of earlier this year, but having those two back together will be a site for sore eyes. They are the heart and soul of this team and will lead the Warriors in the 2nd half. Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson are two nice pieces to have going forward to provide some more offensive firepower to Nellie’s run and gun style. Combine those 4 with Monta and Biedrins, and you have a talented group of 6 players who are supported by a deep bench. With the trade deadline looming, will the Warriors unload their plethora of swingmen for a big? If not, it will be a tough to stop anyone just as it’s been all year long. Either way it’ll be a fun post All-Star break as the Warriors should finally be playing meaningful games late into the season (finally).

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
by ClipperSteve of Clips Nation

I guess they should be flattered. For so many years, there were absolutely no expectations of the Los Angeles Clippers, so it was literally impossible not to live up to them. This season, expectations were so high that as of the All Star break, they are the consensus ‘biggest disappointment in the NBA’ despite being a measly half game out of 8th place in the Western Conference. I believe it was Peter La Fleur who said “I found that if you have a goal, that you might not reach it. But if you don't have one, then you are never disappointed. And I gotta tell ya... it feels phenomenal.” Well, the Clippers made the mistake of setting some goals this season, and I for one feel less than phenomenal.

With essentially the same squad back from last year’s ‘one game from the Conference Finals’ team, the Clippers sit 3 games under .500 at 25-28 after improving each prior season under Mike Dunleavy Sr. (28 wins in 03-04 to 37 in 04-05 wins to 47 wins last season). There are lots of reasons for this backslide, and at the same no excuses.

If the benchmark is continuous improvement, no player on the roster has passed the test this season. Of the top 5 scorers from last season’s squad, each is currently averaging fewer points per game. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any single statistical category that is improved for this group, with the exception of Elton Brand’s shooting percentage. And it’s not as if it gets better after the top 5 – Vladimir Radmanovic’s replacement Tim Thomas is scoring less than Vlad, and while Shaun Livingston has increased his scoring average from 5.7 to 9.4, it’s not nearly the improvement Clipper Nation was anticipating from the man who was ‘untouchable’ in Allen Iverson trade talks.

Brand remains a bright spot. His season averages are for the most part better than his career averages, and his career-best 54.7% field goal shooting is truly astounding for a guy averaging 20+ points per game. Unfortunately for Elton, his 06-07 season was so ridiculously good that few have noticed that this is easily the second best season in his stellar career – everyone’s too focused on the fact that he’s not scoring as much as last season.