Report by Dave Deckard and Nick Sclafani
Dave Deckard and Nick Sclafani take a weekly look at the NBA teams in the Pacific Division - Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings - and breaks down what happened the week before and what to expect in the week ahead, as well as injuries and trades.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS reported by Dave
Recap Rewind: The Warriors finished the season at 48-34, third in the Pacific Division and 9th in the Western Conference. They averaged an amazing 111 points per game, led by Baron Davis with 21.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Guards Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson also topped 20 points per game.
Notable News: The main storyline as the season ended was Warriors’ Coach Don Nelson benching Baron Davis in the second half of a critical game against Phoenix to keep their playoff hopes alive. Rumors are swirling that Nellie may walk before the summer ends but he denies any rift with his star point guard.
Fast Forward: You can flip a coin as far as Golden State’s prospects in the near future. On the one hand they did win 48 games, which in any mortal year would have put them squarely in the playoffs. They should not get worse over the summer. There’s reason to think they can win that many again. On the other hand it’s hard to see how they will get better either, especially if they continue the offensive fusillade at the expense of defense. How many 20-point guys can you have? How do you squeeze out even more points and more wins when you already lead the league in scoring and it hasn’t gotten you to the promised land? The mastery of the West is no illusion. There won’t be many teams falling out of the playoff hunt anytime soon. Can the Warriors seize enough momentum to climb over the Houstons and Dallases of the world or will they just spin their wheels on the border between the eighth seed and the lottery until their key scorers age too far to be productive?
PACIFIC DIVISION REPORTS
Golden State Warriors/Los Angeles Clippers/Los Angeles Lakers/Phoenix Suns/Sacramento Kings