subject: Golden State Warriors Tickets - Young And Ready To Run [print this page] The Golden State Warriors are going to run this season, that much is for sure. Head coach Don Nelson loves to play a fast-paced game, which will sell a lot of Golden State Warriors tickets to see his exciting brand of basketball, but will it win games? The Warriors look to be experiencing a bit of a youth influx into their regular rotation, which could mean big things in this offensive scheme.
Most importantly, the Warriors will be getting back a healthy Monta Ellis, who missed most of last season with an injury and wasn't quite himself when he returned late last season. Ellis is the lead guard of this team and perhaps the best player in the organization. The Warriors rewarded Ellis with a hefty contract last summer, seeing him as the future of the franchise, but were more than a bit miffed when he hurt his ankle in a moped accident and then lied to the team about it.
Ellis is one of the quickest guards in the league and possesses better than average size at the point guard position. How much of a point he can be is in question, though. Ellis is a gifted scorer, but his playmaking ability in unproven. Last season was supposed to be the team's trial run with him at the point, but the injury dashed those plans, so this season will have to be the maiden voyage of the ship under Ellis' control. He can score with the best of them, but he needs to prove that he can run a team.
Ellis' backcourt mate this season will predominantly be rookie Stephen Curry, who looks like he's ready to break Nelson's habit of benching talented rookies. Curry will probably play the two mostly, but he'll see some time at the point as well. Like Ellis, Curry is more of an undersized two than a one, but he has shown the skills to make scouts think that he could run a team pretty effectively if given time to learn the position and the system. Unlike Ellis, Curry is a great shooter and the two should complement each other well in that respect. Monta Ellis revealed his doubts about the pair's ability to coexist in the same backcourt this offseason, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. The scenario in which I could see this team breaking down is if neither proves capable of handling the quarterback duties.
The true gem of the franchise could be young Anthony Randolph. Just 20 years old, the second-year forward out of LSU looks poised for a breakout season. Nelson appears to be ready to hand him the starting power forward job and Randolph could take the playing time and run with it. He wowed everyone at the Las Vegas Summer League, earning MVP honors and looking like a man among boys. Randolph has the size and athletic ability to be a terror on offense and defense, and he seems to be growing into his body and refining his basketball skills. He could be a scary player.
Along with several other young players, these three guys form the future of this organization. Ellis, Curry and Randolph all look very promising and should be major cogs of the team in the 2009-10 season. It could be an exciting one to watch.
