Run N Gun: A Golden State Warriors Story

[Myles Nelson]

I'm going to give the old coaching hand a try one more time. My first attempt failed, my second time went a lot better but it still died out after three seasons, so I'm hoping this time it sticks.

I'm going to be doing it in global mode so that I can handle GM duties every now and then, but as of right now I have that set to CPU. Including the draft.

This is my first time trying it this way. It should be interesting. Lehgo!

By the way, I think I may have the most dynasties on this site lol.

[Myles Nelson]

[SIZE="6"]Season 1
(2010-11)[/SIZE]

Coach Information
Name: Myles Nelson (37)
Experience: 0-0
Contract: $446,000 / 6 years
Offense: 86%
Defense: 73%
Potential: 61%
Development: 81%
Strategy: 88%
Job Security: Very Secure

Owner Expectations
Rebuilding Year
At or near the cap

My Assistants
1st Assistant: Del Harris
2nd Assistant: TR Dunn
3rd Assistant: Chip Engelland

Roster
PG Stephen Curry
SG Kelenna Azubuike
SG Monta Ellis
SG Anthony Morrow
SG Charlie Bell
SF Reggie Williams
PF Vladimir Radmanovic
PF Anthony Randolph
PF Brandan Wright
C Dan Gadzuric
C Andris Biedrins
C Ronny Turiaf

[Myles Nelson]

Looking at our rosters, we desperately need some frontcourt help. Radmanovic and Gadzuric are simply unplayable, and I'd prefer to not have to give starter's minutes (or extensive minutes) to any of the other guys I have available. I can put Azubuike at SF for a good amount of time, so I'm not hurting in the backcourt/wings as much. With this in mind, and with our pick in mind, I asked Larry Riley to check out the following players.

Cole Aldrich
Al-Farouq Aminu
Luke Babbitt
DeMarcus Cousins
Derrick Favors
Paul George
Gordon Hayward
Xavier Henry
Wes Johnson
Greg Monroe
Patrick Patterson

and for the 37th pick

Solomon Alabi
Trevor Booker
Craig Brackins
Jerome Jordan

Hopefully one of them falls.

Anyway, it's time for the draft!

[Myles Nelson]

I told Larry Riley before the draft that I would really prefer it if he didn't trade Curry or Morrow, but everyone else is fine. Obviously, him being the GM, he'll trade them if something comes up, but I told him I'm planning on building an offense surrounding their unique skills. Namely, shooting.

I also said Monta can go if a good deal pops up.

[SIZE="4"]2010 NBA Draft[/SIZE]

1. John Wall to WAS. No surprises there.
2. Evan Turner to PHI.
3. DeMarcus Cousins to NJ.
4. Derrick Favors to MIN. DANGIT. Really wanted him.
5. Wes Johnson to SAC. That's fine, we weren't high on him anyway.

Who does Larry Riley pick? I'm fine with Aldrich, Monroe or Aminu.

6. Cole Aldrich to GSW

Perfect. Definitely fits a need, giving us a solid young big man with great defensive skills, something we desperately needed.

7. Greg Monroe, DET.
8. Paul George, LAC.
9. Xavier Henry, NYK.
10. Avery Bradley, IND.
11. Al-Farouq Aminu, NOH.
12. Ekpe Udoh, HOU.
13. Gordon Hayward, TOR.
14. Terrico White, MEM.
15. Patrick Patterson, MIL.
16. Ed Davis, PHI
17. Luke Babbitt, CHI
18. Daniel Orton, MIA
19. Jordan Crawford, BOS
20. Larry Sanders, SA
21. James Anderson, OKC
22. Eric Bledsoe, POR
23. Domonique Jones, UTA
24. Quincy Pondexter, DEN
25. Da'Sean Butler, DEN

I guess Denver needed a SF. Expecting a certain star player to skip town?

26. Magnum Rolle, PHX
27. Hassan Whiteside, DAL
28. Grevis Vasquez, LAL
29. Damion James, ORL
30. Stanley Robinson, CLE

35. Armon Johnson, GSW

I don't think we were that desperate for a backup PG... Trevor Booker was still available too... oh well! And Linsanity was still out there for a PG!

Trades

Grizzlies trade: PF Darrell Arthur
Trail Blazers trade: SG Rudy Fernandez
Winner: Fernandez gives Memphis a backup SG, Portland gets a backup PF in Arthur. Works out well for both teams.

Nuggets trade: PG Ty Lawson
76ers trade: PF Mareese Speights
Winner: Denver gives up a backup for a backup at a need position, the 76ers acquire their third-string PG. Denver wins.

Cavaliers trade: PF JJ Hickson, PG Sebastian Telfair, PF Leon Powe
Grizzlies trade: PG Mike Conley
Winner: Cavaliers gave up a whole lot of nothing for a pretty good PG. Hickson is alright, but definitely no Conley. Cavs win this one.

Celtics trade: PF Glen Davis
Wizards trade: SG Nick Young
Winner: Eh. Both players are okay and fill holes for their new teams.

Wizards trade: SF Al Thornton
Thunder trade: PF DJ White
Winner: At least Thornton can kind of do something. White is just useless. Thunder win I guess.

Magic trade: PF Ryan Anderson
Kings trade: SF Donte Greene
Winner: Again, Anderson is semi-useful, Greene not so much. Kings win.

Kings trade: SF Omri Casspi
Hornets trade: PF David West
Winner: Kings are just stockpiling PFs now, and while they may have a bit of a glut their now, at least West is talented. Kings win.

Bulls trade: PF James Johnson
Grizzlies trade: SF Sam Young
Winner: No one. Both players suck.

Jazz trade: PF Kosta Koufos, PG Ronnie Price
Rockets trade: C Chuck Hayes
Winner: Again, all players involved are scrubs.

Bobcats trade: SG Gerald Henderson, C Alexis Ajinca, PF Ed Davis
76ers trade: C Spencer Hawes
Winner: This essentially boils down to Davis for Hawes. I like Hawes better. Bobcats win.

Hawks trade: SF Maurice Evans, SF Quincy Pondexter
Nuggets trade: SG Arron Afflalo
Winner: Afflalo is a pretty good shooter, so this basically turns out to be how good does Pondexter become? As of right now, I say the Hawks won.

Warriors trade: PF Vladimir Radmanovic
Bobcats trade: C Nazr Mohammed
Winner: Warriors by far. We got rid of a bad PF who would never play for a serviceable center who might actually see court time.

[Myles Nelson]

2010 Free Agency

We have a pretty set roster, though I'd like a backup PG, since Armon Johnson isn't really a PG, more like a 6'1" SG.

Josh Childress signs the first contract, inking a 4 year deal to play with Washington.

The Knicks resign David Lee to a 6 year max contract.

The Heat bring back Wade to a 6 year max contract.

The Nets get both LBJ and Bosh, the Bobcats and the Heat resign Felton and Jermaine O'Neal, respectively. The Celtics nab Earl Barron and Steph Marbury gets a shot back in the NBA with the Bucks.

The Bulls get Boozer on a 5 year deal, and in a shocking move, Nowitzki bolts from Dallas to sign a 5 year max contract with the Knicks. Wow.

The Hawks bring back JJ to a 5 year, 77M contract. Celtics resign The Truth, the Clips sign Luke Ridnour while the Cavs nab Mike Miller. Amare joins the Kings, Gooden to the Nets, and the Mavs resign Haywood.

Bobcats get Bell while the Spurs sign Ben Wallace. The Hornets give Amir Johnson a chance, Ronnie Brewer signs with the Pistons, Haslem and Nate Rob go back to the Heat and Celtics respectively.

Scola signs to 5 year deal with the Heat, joining Al Harrington and Josh Howard as well. Matt Barnes goes to the Bobcats, and Redick stays in Orlando. Utah signs T-Mac, and the Bucks sign AI and Shaquille O'Neal. Has anyone told these guys it's not 2004 anymore?

The Timberwolves ink Rudy Gay to a 5 year 65M deal, and the Bulls get Chris Duhon to back up Rose for two years.

The Knicks get Kyle Lowry on a two year deal.

The Clippers give Shaun Livingston another chance to prove himself with a two year deal on the same day Tyrus Thomas gets a one year tryout with the Hornets.

The Lakers steal Steve Blake from us. Darnit. We respond by signing Jason Williams to a one year minimum contract. Exactly the kind of player I need, someone who can push the tempo, pass the ball, and hit the 3.

[Myles Nelson]

[SIZE="4"]Season Preview[/SIZE]

Eastern Conference

1. New Jersey Nets
The Nets are led by the trio of LBJ, Bosh and Brook Lopez, but the real question is how are the role players going to mesh around them. Devin Harris and Courtney Lee can certainly play, and Gooden and Cousins provide firepower off the bench. Is the backcourt strong enough to help this team to the top?

2. Chicago Bulls
Rose will lead this top notch team, as the starting five is probably the deepest in the league. With Noah providing interior defense, Boozer providing interior offense, and Deng/Hinrich playing well on both sides of the ball, the Bulls have a great team.

3. Miami Heat
The biggest concern for the Heat is the lack of a real PG. Wade will masquerade there, but other than that, the Heat have a nasty team. Luis Scola and Al Harrington bring firepower to the forward spots, Jermaine O'Neal holds down the post, Josh Howard starts at SG, and Beasley, Haslem, Hughes and Chalmers lead the deep bench.

4. Orlando Magic
Dwight Howard is the superstar that will lead this team. Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis provide a decent supporting cast, and Damion James will get a chance to show his skills as a rookie. The bench is filled with swing specialists but very little post depth.

5. New York Knicks
The Knicks have a dangerous starting five but no point guard. Xavier Henry is running the point, but the real threats are David Lee, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and the brand new Knick, Dirk Nowitzki. The Knicks have a decent bench and will thus challenge if they can figure out how to distribute the ball.

6. Atlanta Hawks
Joe Johnson came back on a non-max deal, interesting considering that so many teams had cap space. With Al Horford and Josh Smith down low, the Hawks have a pretty well balanced team. The question is how well will Jamal Crawford play at SF.

7. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have a good but injury prone team. Bogut and Maggette, though the leaders of this team, have had injury issues recently. That would put a lot of strain on Jennings, Salmons and Ilyasova, though the depth is good enough that they could withstand injuries. With Delfino, Shaq, Patterson, Mbah a Moute and The Answer, the Bucks have a decent amount of depth.

8. Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats are a pretty well-built team, led by Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace. With Spencer Hawes anchoring the middle and Boris Diaw/Raymond Felton playing their roles, this team has a decent squad. The bench is pretty weak but that's about it.

9. Boston Celtics
The time may have come for the Big 4. Rondo has still got it, but Pierce, Allen and Garnett are starting to slow down. Their production will determine just how far this team goes. To make this especially difficult, the Celtics don't have much in the way of a bench.

10. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are a young team on the rise. Their starting 5 consists of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Ed Davis. With Davis and Turner, they have two rookies and Holiday is only 20. Bench players Louis Williams (23), Ty Lawson (22), and Thaddeus Young (21) will all grow as well.

11. Indiana Pacers
Danny Granger leads these Pacers, though his supporting cast isn't much. Avery Bradley, Brandon Rush, Troy Murphy and Roy Hibbert are his fellow starters and it doesn't get any better beyond that.

12. Washington Wizards
John Wall and Gilbert Arenas combine to make one of the most deadly if not turnover prone backcourts in the NBA. Wall is athletic and attacking while Arenas can hit from anywhere on the court. Aside from the two of them, though, the Wizards really have no offense. Tolliver and Blatche are the "big men" down low and Josh Childress is coming from a few seasons off of the NBA.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers
It will be interesting to see how these Cavs respond post-Lebron era. Williams and Jamison provide two decent offensive options but no real leaders, and new additions Mike Miller and Mike Conley can be real dangers on offense. Parker and Varejao are the other two starters, but neither are real difference makers.

14. Detroit Pistons
Just the right combination of dysfunctional talent, bad contracts, and old veterans. The Pistons are one of the worst teams in the league and it will be a while before they come back to prominence. Rodney Stuckey might be the best hope for the franchise, but Hamilton, Prince, and Maxiell aren't anything to cheer about. Greg Monroe may make a difference in the future.

15. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have such little big man depth that they will be starting a 2nd round rookie at center, Jerome Jordan. That doesn't bode well. Andrea Bargnani leads this motley crew, with Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, and Hedo Turkoglu joining him in the starting five. The only player on this team that should be untouchable is Gordon Hayward, as he has a bright future. Everyone else can and should be shopped.

[Myles Nelson]

Season Preview, Part 2

Western Conference

1. Sacramento Kings
The Kings had a pretty rough season last year, but are stacked with talent now. A starting five that includes Tyreke Evans, Amar'e Stoudemire, David West and Wes Johnson, and a bench that begins with Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, and Sam Dalembert. The only concern about this team is that the talent is a bit lopsided, as the Kings have 5 big men who are starting talent but no backup PG.

2. Los Angeles Lakers
A talented veteran team like the Lakers will always be a challenge, regardless of how weak the bench is. The starting five looks like an All-Star roster: Kobe, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. These five will have to carry this team, because the bench consists of players like Steve Blake, Brad Miller, and Flip Murray. While these bench players may not do much, they won't be counted on too heavily anyway.

3. Denver Nuggets
Carmelo is the star of this team, but make no mistake, this team is deep. Chauncey Billups the veteran hand, Nene the all around big down low, K-Mart the defensive pitbull, JR Smith the spark plug. Nikola Pekovic and Channing Frye highlight a good bench but again, all frontcourt talent. No backup PG. This could hamper the Nuggets title hopes.

4. Portland Trail Blazers
This team might be the most well-rounded of all the teams. While the Blazers lack true star power, they make up for in a team concept. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge are the closest thing to stars, with Andre Miller providing leadership and passing, Batum defense and shooting, and Camby defense and rebounding. Greg Oden comes off the bench with frontcourt mate Joel Przybilla, and Martell Webster, Jerryd Bayless and Eric Bledsoe make up the bench backcourt. A truly well rounded team.

5. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are led by their three stars, Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, and All-Stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Richard Jefferson provides an outside shooting touch and Tiago Splitter, though a rookie, is chock full of talent. Off the bench, George Hill provides the offensive spark while DeJuan Blair and Ben Wallace solidify the frontcourt.

6. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are running a high pace offense led by the backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. With Anthony Randolph and Cole Aldrich up front, the Warriors have a defensive minded frontcourt with some athleticism in Randolph who can keep up, and of course, high scoring Reggie Williams. The bench is highlighted by shooters Anthony Morrow and Azubuike, and serviceable big men in Biedrins and Nazr Mohammed.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have a very talented squad, led by the frontcourt trio of Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, and Rudy Gay. Those three make a very dangerous trio to play against, and with Ricky Rubio in the backcourt feeding them the ball it only makes them better. Corey Brewer offers good defense and outside shooting, and Derrick Favors has most of the talent off the bench. Jonny Flynn and Ryan Gomes will play pivotal roles as well.

8. Houston Rockets
Yao Ming is the star that will hold this team together, but only if he can stay healthy. He missed all of last year with a foot injury, but if he can return to form this team will be very dangerous. With Aaron Brooks, Kevin Martin, and Trevor Ariza gunning from the outside, not to mention Ekpe Udoh and Shane Battier bringing the defense, the Rockets have a very solid team top to bottom. Even the bench, with CJ Watson, Chase Budinger, and Jordan Hill, is no slouch either.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have a lot of young talent, including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green. The question is, can they come together to play well as a team? Serge Ibaka handles down low defensively and Harden has the potential to be a great SG, with Thabo Sefolosha handling the defensive responsibilities on the wing. James Anderson and Al Thornton are backups as well, but this is a team without a backup PG, a seemingly common problem in the west.

10. New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets may be even more run and gun than the Thunder. Chris Paul and Darren Collison, two quick PGs, run the backcourt, while Peja Stojakovic laces up at PF. The 6th man is Marcus Thornton, a shooter, and Emeka Okafor and Al-Farouq Aminu round out the starting 5. While they lack a true center, they do have a lot of athleticism and scoring.

11. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have some young talent with Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin, as well as defensive SF Paul George, but other than that they are mostly big contracts, such as Baron Davis and Chris Kaman. Although they have some other decent talents, like Luke Ridnour and Bill Walker, they have hardly any frontcourt depth and no real star player.

12. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are a veteran team who know how to win, but without franchise star Dirk Nowitzki, they will struggle to find consistent scoring. Jason Terry and Caron Butler are good, but they aren't stars. Kidd and Marion are quickly declining, and Haywood is really just a role player. Without Dirk, the Mavs just don't have it anymore.

13. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are in a similar predicament to the Mavericks. They have some good role players, including veterans like Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, but no real scorer. Deron Williams is good but he can't carry the team by himself, and Paul Millsap hasn't proven that he can take on a starting role. Tracy Mcgrady starts at SG and Raef LaFrentz is 6th man, joining Jerry Stackhouse and Tim Thomas on the bench, showing how lost in the past the Jazz are.

14. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have some good players. With Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph down low, they have quite the 1-2 punch in the front court and OJ Mayo provides perimeter offense. The problem? Sebastian Telfair and Rudy Fernandez are the other starters. The only bench player worth even mentioning is JJ Hickson. Ouch.

15. Phoenix Suns
Steve Nash will still get 10 assists per game, and shoot great percentages. No one else on the team will produce at that level. Jason Richardson is getting old, Grant Hill has been old, and Magnum Rolle/Robin Lopez are not capable NBA starters. The best bench players are Darko Milicic, Jared Dudley, and Goran Dragic. Look for Nash and Richardson to have inflated scoring stats simply because there is no one else who can.

[Myles Nelson]

Roster and Gameplan

2010-2011 Roster
PG Stephen Curry
PG Jason Williams
SG/PG Monta Ellis
SG Anthony Morrow
SG Charlie Bell
SG/SF Kelenna Azubuike
SF Reggie Williams
PF Anthony Randolph
PF Brandan Wright
C/PF Ronny Turiaf
C/PF Nazr Mohammed
C/PF Cole Aldrich
C Andris Biedrins
C Dan Gadzuric

Depth Chart

PG: Steph Curry - Jason Williams - Monta Ellis
SG: Monta Ellis - Anthony Morrow - Kelenna Azubuike - Charlie Bell
SF: Reggie Williams - Kelenna Azubuike - Anthony Morrow
PF: Anthony Randolph - Brandan Wright - Ronny Turiaf
C: Cole Aldrich - Andris Biedrins - Nazr Mohammed

We're going to run a very fast paced offense that will play pretty lenient defense, possibly even run zone some of the time. We might full court press given our backcourt, and we probably won't emphasize crashing the boards too much.

[Cleasby]

Nice read. Hopefully the management team move out some of this guys to give you more balance.

[Myles Nelson]

I'm going to push for some big men down low. In Global Mode all I'm doing is throwing players on the block that I don't want. The CPU will do everything else regarding roster management.