2008 Golden State Warriors Season Preview & NBA Predictions

Written October 9, 2008 by Luke Knight

The Golden State Warriors will begin their days of post-Baron Davis basketball this season. Davis revived this franchise when he arrived in 2005 and was generally considered the heart and soul of the team. His departure has left the team lacking just that, a heart and soul. The Warriors will need someone to step up as a leader or the Golden State fans may see their team return to the days before Baron Davis. Keep reading to find out if we think the Golden State Warriors will recover from the loss of Baron Davis or sink back into obscurity. Check out BetUS where the Warriors are +4000 odds to win the Western Conference Championship this season.

Monta Ellis will move over to point guard from shooting guard with Baron Davis’s departure. Ellis averaged 20.2 points per game and 3.9 assists with 5.0 rebounds. Ellis is generally considered a shoot-first player so it will be interesting to see if he can adjust to his new role and move the ball more. Ellis suffered a left ankle sprain that will keep him out for 3 months, so the Warriors will start the season by relying on Marcus Williams, who they acquired from the Nets in the offseason. C.J. Watson, who was called up from the Development league should get minutes behind Williams. Losing Ellis after Davis’s departure could prove to be a crushing blow.

Corey Maggette was brought in this offseason after spending 8 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Maggette could be the leader that the Warriors so desperately need, but he will likely focus on meshing with his new teammates before trying to lead them. Maggette clearly spends a lot of time in the weight room, and Chris Mullin expects that to set the tone for the younger players on how to take care of their bodies. Maggette is one of the most athletic players in the league and he should thrive in Don Nelson’s fast paced style of play. He has the ability to finish, penetrate, and make perimeter shots. Marco Belinelli should improve considerably this season and he played well in the summer league. He will get the majority of minutes behind Maggette here.

Stephen Jackson has always thought of himself as one of the leaders of this Golden State team, now he will be THE leader. Jackson is an unconscious shooter and averaged a career-high 20.1 points last season. With Davis gone and Ellis hurt, Jackson should increase his scoring average to a new career high. Jackson shot just 40.5% from the floor last season, which he should fix with better shot selection. Jackson was also hit with 9 technical fouls last season, and that is not the type of leadership this team needs and Jackson knows that.

Al Harrington is the slated starter at power forward, but he has just never looked comfortable playing for Don Nelson. He averaged 13.6 points per game last season and only 5.4 rebounds. Brandan Wright could see some playing time, but he was nearly forgotten by Nelson last season. Nelson knows he will have to do more coaching this season with Davis gone so the coach who generally hates playing young players may be planning to do just that. The Warriors also drafted Anthony Randolph so he could see some playing time here also along with Richard Hendrix.

Andris Biedrins nearly had a double-double average last season with 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds a game. He isn’t a true center, but Don Nelson’s offense doesn’t call for one anyway. Biedrins runs the floor extremely well and finished the season with seven consecutive double-doubles. Ronny Turiaf should pick up the bulk of minutes when Biedrins isn’t on the floor. Turiaf is physically tough inside, which Golden State needs from time to time.

Final Analysis

Golden State could make up for the scoring they lost when Baron Davis departed pretty easily, in fact bringing in Corey Maggette probably would have done it. What Davis offered that this team desperately needs is leadership, and that is a tough role for any of these players to fill. Jackson has to control his emotions in order for this team to be successful. He could become the leader this team needs. With Monta Ellis being out for three months, this team is going to struggle early since they do not have a proven backup. This team was only 2 games out of the playoffs last season, but it looks like this year they will drop even further. We have them finishing 4th in the Pacific Division behind the Lakers, Clippers, and Suns and ahead of the Kings. The Warriors are +8000 to win the NBA Championship this season, but we have them missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

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