Golden State Warriors: Is Jerry West Really That Big Of A Deal?

Jerry West not only knows basketball, being one of he greatest NBA players of all-time, but he knows the corporate side of basketball, as well. West was responsible for igniting the Los Angeles Lakers' three-peat from 2000-02, by acquiring players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, as well as hiring Phil Jackson as head coach.

West's new challenge is to do with the Golden State Warriors what he did with the Lakers, and somewhat with the Memphis Grizzlies.

West was pursued by Warriors' owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, and they hired him this past week as an adviser to the Warriors' executive board.

Who knows how much of a role West will play with the Warriors, but having one of the greatest basketball players of all-time is not a bad person to have advising your team.

Although West does still plan to live in Southern California, he will be working very closely with Warriors' ownership, as well as, and most importantly, General Manager Larry Riley. West was the former ultra-successful GM with the Lakers, and the hope is he can rub off some wisdom on Riley.

But whether or not West's role with the Warriors is significant or not, the name is there, and that is what counts right now.

West's new job with the Warriors helps improve two aspects of Golden State's mission to be a successful franchise.



1. The New Coach
Jerry West has been around the NBA long enough to know what coaches and players are for real, and which are not. Right off the bat, West will be helping with the hiring of the Warriors' next head coach.

Warriors' owner Joe Lacob is not dumb. He knows that with West apart of the Warriors, he will attract high-profile names to this team, whether they are big name coaches or players.

For now, any coach would like to work with West, as well as an ambitious Warriors ownership that is determined to make this team a success.

West totally changes the image of the Warriors from the Don Nelson/Keith Smart Era to the new and improved Lacob/Guber Era with their eyes set on the playoffs.

Also, West has first-hand experience with some of these coaches, such as Lakers' assistant coach Brian Shaw.

Is Shaw for real as a coach?

I'm sure West has already filled the Warriors in on that one.



2. Acquiring Players

West's name, alone, will draw players to Oakland.

Without West as an adviser, there was no chance at landing a big name free agent. Now with West, the Warriors suddenly have a shot. Given West's success both on the court and off, it may entice a player like Dwight Howard, for instance, to come to Oakland and become apart of something very special taking flight.

But most of all, West will be working with GM Larry Riley, arguably the weakest link in the Warriors' front office. As a former successful GM, West will be sure to have a say in what moves Riley and the Warriors will be making.

Reports are this may even be the start of West becoming the next GM of the Warriors. Keep your fingers crossed on that one.

So not only will West be attracting players to Golden State, but he will have a say in whether or not those players are worth it.

In a history of the Warriors that has seen several talents slip through the cracks and other talents rot in the Warriors' former corrupt system, it is good to see Lacob and others making moves that everyone agrees makes this franchise better.

West is the first step.

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Golden State Warriors: Mike Brown and the Best Coaching Fits in Golden State

For once, the Golden State Warriors are one of the bigger stories in the NBA these days. Sure, they cannot compete with the NBA Playoffs, but the recent flurry of coaching candidates that have been interviewed with the team and the news of Jerry West joining the front office has the Warriors being a hot commodity these days.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob is making all the right moves.

One thing is for sure, Lacob wants a big name as head coach of the Warriors next season. For too many years, the Warriors have been swept under the rug because of less than high-profile coaching and players. Even last year, the Warriors had their first chance at a big name coach, and they decided on Keith Smart. A less than expected season then occurred.

It is obvious that Lacob wants a high profile coach and, sooner or later, high profile players to go with that high profile coach. Jerry West's move to Golden State mean just that. He is a big name in the basketball community and Lacob hopes he can attract big name players with that big name executive.

But before the Warriors get those high profile players, they need that high profile coach.

The reason the person that fills this Warriors head coaching position will be hired will have a lot to do with how recognizable his name is. It is the first step to Lacob's scheme of moving the Warriors up in the basketball ranks with high-profile names.



5. Kevin McHale

The big name is there, for sure.

The legendary power forward, who played for 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, has been recently interviewed by the Warriors and seems to be the front-runner for the Houston Rockets head coaching position, as well.

But McHale is a risk, if that.

Sure, he was a great player in his day, but McHale, as a coach or in any position other than on the court with the ball in his hands, has not had much success.

He stepped down as VP of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves after he and others had seemed to run that team into the ground. McHale became head coach and was not brought back after serving that brief head coaching stint in 2008-09.

Because of his risk, the Warriors would be smart not to take him on.

The name is there and he is a coach with great knowledge for the game, but his track record is what it is....risky.



4. Dwane Casey

The sexiness of the name is not there, but Casey is sought after by several teams for being one of the best assistant coaches in the NBA.

He is currently the assistant coach under Rick Carlisle for the Dallas Mavericks, and has been interviewed twice for the Philadelphia 76ers head coaching position.

He has had one stint as a head coach. He led the Timberwolves to a 33-49 record in 2005.

Not the track record Lacob may want, but Casey is a being sought after for something, right?

Two things stand out about Casey to NBA teams: He is a defensive-minded coach, and a disciplinarian.

There will be no rough-housing going on in whatever locker room Casey runs.

I am not sure that is what the Warriors need right now, though. Especially from a coach that has not been impressive as a head coach.

How that would sit with Monta Ellis is another deal.

But the defense he brings is much needed in Golden State. The problem is they just had a defensive-minded coach with little experience in Keith Smart. How did that work out?



3. Brian Shaw

The Los Angeles Lakers' assistant coach is the new, young hot commodity in NBA coaching. He is attractive to teams because he has learned from the best, and the best is Phil Jackson.

Plus, he has already received support from Kobe Bryant for the Lakers' head coaching vacancy, which means a lot.

But Shaw is one of those "hit or miss" coaches.

Do we even know what Shaw would bring to the Warriors? What does he specialize in, other than he had a good career as a player in the NBA?

It would be Shaw's first stint as head coach of an NBA team, and do the Warriors really want their team to become an experiment?

Sure, there is no one better to learn from than Phil Jackson, but there are more sure things in head coaching than Brian Shaw.



2. Lawrence Frank

Here is Lacob's Boston man.

Frank has served as assistant coach for the Boston Celtics for the last year after coaching the New Jersey Nets for six fulls seasons.

Frank's success in New Jersey is what is drawing teams to him. He had a streak of four straight playoff appearances in his first four seasons with the Nets before an 0-16 start to the 2009-10 season shelved him for good.

Frank is known for how smart he is, rather than his experience in the NBA, as many others are. The prototypical basketball nerd that found his way into NBA coaching, Frank adjusts to the teams he coaches.

With the Nets, he coached his fast, high-powered offense to several playoff appearances. In Golden State, he can do the same.

Sure, Don Nelson tried it for years, and it was successful for one of those years.

Frank is a gamble as he would most likely lead the Warriors right back into the high-octane offense that draws fans to the arena just as they were getting out of "Nelly ball."

But Frank is one of the more accomplished coaches available right now, and the Warriors could do worse than hire him as head coach.



1. Mike Brown

This is the man the Warriors need to hire as their next head coach.

He fits all the criteria that Lacob and the Warriors want and need.

He is a big name coach, after taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to playoff appearance after playoff appearance. Plus, he has ways of pleasing big name athletes like Lebron James, as he could do with Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry.

Most of all, Brown preaches defense, which is something the Warriors got a taste of with Keith Smart, but could really dive into with Brown.

He is a coach that could change the image of this team, while making them better, and teaching Ellis, Curry and Lee how to work together and elevate their games to the next level.

With the Warriors, Brown takes this team from being two to three years from the playoffs, to one to two years.

That is something the Warriors and their fans can appreciate.

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San Francisco 49ers: 5 Bold Predictions For the 2011 Season

The 2010-11 NFL Season was franchise-changing for the San Francisco 49ers. The 0-5 start to the season was the first step, and losers in six of their first seven games was the next step, causing them to ultimately fall out of the terrible NFC West division race.

It took until Week 16 for the 49ers to finally yank the cord on Mike Singletary's tenure as head coach, which has led to a total team makeover in Santa Clara, CA.

The 2011 NFL offseason has sprung recent hope into the hearts of 49er fans.

They hired Jim Harbaugh in January and have built him up to be the second-coming of Bill Walsh, another former Stanford coach that has come to save the day in San Francisco.

But the 49ers may be the team that has been most affected by the NFL Lockout.

They have a new coach trying to learn his way in the NFL, a quarterback that has said he will sign with the team but cannot until the lockout is over and a quarterback from the NFL Draft that needs to learn an NFL offense as soon as possible.

So what should we expect from the 49ers in the 2011-12 NFL season?

Nobody knows.

For now, here are five bold predictions for the 49ers' upcoming season, whenever that is.



1. Alex Smith Will Start the Entire Season For the 49ers

Alex Smith is not even apart of the 49ers yet, and still it feels like Smith will be the man under center in 2011.

Smith recently said that he would like to sign with the 49ers as soon as the lockout ends, but who didn't see this coming? The 49ers had no other choice with the lockout still intact.

With David Carr as the only quarterback under contract for the 49ers, it was only a matter of time until the 49ers went knocking on Smith's door, or vice versa.

Still, with the drafting of Colin Kaepernick from Nevada, Smith's stay in San Francisco this time around may be short-lived, although it is not clear if Kaepernick is the 49ers' quarterback of the future.

But in the 2011-12 NFL season, Alex Smith will start every game for the 49ers.

There are two methods to my madness: The 49ers do not have any other NFL-caliber quarterbacks on their roster, and Smith is sure to benefit from Jim Harbaugh's tutelage, even if their preparation time for the season is at a minimum.

Get used to Smith under center. Whether the fans like it or not, Alex Smith is here to stay in 2011.



2. Anthony Dixon Will Have an Impact

In his rookie season in 2010, Dixon had 70 rushes for 237 yards and two touchdowns. In 2011, he will play an even bigger role than that.

Right now, Dixon is the 49ers' second string running back behind Frank Gore. Dixon gives the team a tough running back with power at the goal line, which is where the 49ers will be using him most.

And with Brian Westbrook looking to be fully out of the picture in San Francisco, this opens the door for Dixon to get some work in behind Gore.

Trent Baalke has come out and said that he wants another running back behind Gore and Dixon, and he got one in Kendall Hunter from Oklahoma State. They did this not because Dixon will not be able to carry the load of back-up running back, but because the 49ers cannot risk a Gore injury again.

Gore will be receiving a lighter workload this season because the 49ers do not want to risk another injury like he had last season, which is why I see Dixon getting a consistent amount of carries in 2011.

In 2010, Dixon ran for 237 yards. In 2011, Dixon will run for over 400 yards with over five touchdowns.

Sure, it is not a crazy prediction, but Dixon will receive a larger workload and it will show that Dixon means business in 2011.



3. Nate Clements Will Have A Break Out Season

How many years have 49er fans been waiting for this to happen?

In 2007, Clements signed an eight-year, $80 million contract with the 49ers.

Now, in 2011, the 49ers want him to re-do his contract, thus putting Clements' 2011 season with the 49ers in jeopardy.

Clements has never, at any point, lived up to this gargantuan contract since signing with the 49ers.

Clements likes the Bay Area, and although I do not see him restructuring his contract in the foreseeable future, he will be playing in San Francisco for the remaining three years of that contract.

But Clements is due for a break-out season. He earned all that praise in Buffalo and could not live up to it in San Francisco. But in year four in San Francisco, Clements will be earning his paycheck.

It sounds crazy, but Clements will be fueled for a break-out season after being asked to restructure his contract, which is the 49ers' way of saying that he has not lived up to what they are paying him.

If Clements wants another high-paying salary when his seven to eight years are up in San Francisco, he will produce. And 2011 looks like an ideal time for that.



4. Offensive Line Will Prove To Be a Solid Foundation

The 49ers' 2010 draft focused on the offensive line in hopes of creating a stable force around their quarterback of the future.

Still with no quarterback of the future to protect, the 49ers' offensive line is a mix of solid athletic bahemoths that are looking to make a name for themselves in 2011.

Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati were at the center of the 2010 draft for the 49ers. Solid rookie seasons from both players, especially Iupati, has this offensive line looking up.

Mix those two linemen at around 6'5" and 330 pounds in with the likes of a healthy Joe Staley, David Baas and Chilo Rachal for yet another year, and the 49ers may have something up front in 2011.



5. Vernon Davis Will Have Over 1,000 Receiving Yards in 2011

I base this prediction on one thing and one thing only. Alex Smith will be the quarterback for the 49ers in 2011, and is going to want to produce, or else his days as a second-stringer for the remainder of his NFL career may be coming.

Smith will want a sure thing in regards to the offense in order to produce, and what is more of a sure thing than a pass to Vernon Davis?

Davis is a constant match-up nightmare for the opposing teams, which is why Smith should throw to Davis early and often, and I have no doubt that he will.

In the last year, the 49ers have gone away from the obvious pass to Davis and have tried to mix in passes to Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan.

For Smith's sake in 2011, he better pass the rock to Davis who will haul it in, no questions asked. He is a sure thing, and Smith needs that now more than ever.

This, again, is not a crazy prediction.

In 2009, Davis had 965 receiving yards, and in 2010, he had 914 receiving yards.

With Smith needing a consistent season to save his career, the likelihood of Smith passing to Davis for a good majority of passes seem very likely.

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NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks Dismantled in Game 2 As the Western Conference Final Heads to the Shark Tank

The Vancouver Canucks dismantled the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night, 7-3, in an ugly loss for the Sharks at Rogers Arena.

Unsportsmanlike penalties and overall bad play for the majority of the game has the Sharks heading to San Jose dazed and confused, as they look to overcome a 2-0 series deficit.

Not sure how a team can come back from a game like that, though. It was an utter and complete meltdown from the Sharks, in which some players on their team showed zero class while attempting to stand up for an embarrassing display of playoff hockey.

The game was not completely in the Canucks' hands for the entirety, though.

A fast-paced 1st period led to scoring chances aplenty for the both teams. The Sharks would finish the period with 14 shots on net, and the Canucks would finish with 13.

The scoring got started with surging speed out of the neutral zone by Dany Heatley, which led to a Logan Couture power play goal, as the Sharks broke down the Canucks' superb penalty kill, which had been 92% successful in the last nine games.

But Vancouver responded rather quickly with a power play goal of their own by Daniel Sedin, followed by an even-strength goal just 39 seconds later by Raffi Torres.

Daniel Sedin would give his goal right back after a tripping call sent him to the penalty box, setting up another power play goal, this time by Patrick Marleau with help from Joe Thornton and Dan Boyle, after video review.

For those wanting just as much action in the 2nd period, didn't get it.

Turnovers were the name of the game for the Sharks, several leading to close calls that were withstood by goalie Antti Niemi, who was superb in net and kept the Sharks in the game for most of the 2nd period.

But, yet, it was a stalemate for most of the 2nd period until Vancouver's Chris Higgins fed a stretch pass to Kevin Bieksa while the Sharks were caught watching and could not stop Bieksa from scoring on a breakaway, making it 3-2 Canucks.

Things continued to get ugly for the Sharks at the end of the 2nd period.

At an attempt to give the Sharks the momentum, Marleau fought with Bieksa, only to be badly beaten and add to the Canucks' momentum in their own building. It was Marleau's first fight since 2007.

An attempt to retaliate the Marleau beating by Ben Eager led to a roughing penalty that should have been so much more, and the Sharks were back-stepping into the 3rd period.

After the Sharks killed the Eager penalty, Eager committed another penalty seven minutes later, leading to a Higgins' power play goal and a 4-2 lead for the Canucks.

The game was over from there.

The Sharks looked drained, not to mention having to deal with the Canucks' relentless offensive pressure for the rest of the 3rd period. The Canucks would tally whopping ...... shots for the game.

Daniel Sedin, Aaron Rome and Mayson Raymond tacked on three more goals in the 3rd period and the Sharks ultimately lost 7-3 .

An ugly and disappointing game from the Sharks, for sure, most notably from Eager, who tallied four terrible penalties.

After a Game 1 in which the name of the game was to hang on and hope for something good to happen, Game 2 was out of reach after that 2nd period.

Ultimately, a poor fight by Marleau and two penalties by Eager when the Sharks needed to grab momentum led to Vancouver seizing control of Game 2 and this series, as it heads to San Jose for games three and four.

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

Either it seemed like the Canucks' sticks were in every lane possible, or the Sharks were being careless with the puck. Either way, the Canucks benefited from it in the scoring column, as Niemi could only hold on for so long.

Also, the lack of legitimate scoring chances past that 1st period didn't help either.

Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo didn't look like he had it in that 1st period, giving up two fairly easy goals to Couture and Marleau. But the Sharks could not get the puck past the Canucks' stellar defense on Wednesday night, and the Sharks find themselves in a 2-0 series hole.

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2011 NBA Draft Lottery: Initial Reactions For the Golden State Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers turned a draft pick acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Baron Davis trade into the #1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft on Tuesday. The Cavaliers' pick had a 2.8% chance of winning the NBA Lottery, and it did just that by beating out the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz.

The Golden State Warriors' role in the NBA Lottery was a bit insignificant, if you will.

No, they were not expected to win the NBA Lottery with their .7% chance, but viewers tune in to see their team move up a few spots from where they were initially supposed to be. That was not the case for the Warriors. On the bright side, they stayed exactly where they were positioned, at #11.

Other than the dry comment made by Warriors' owner and NBA Lottery team representative, Joe Lacob, in which he said that he was less worried about luck being a factor and more worried about the "physics of the ping pong ball," the NBA Lottery was a snorefest.

But what about that #11 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft?

The initial reaction is that that position in the Draft is nothing special.

This Draft has no superstars in the making, other than Kyrie Irving and possibly Derrick Williams. This Draft could be over by the fifth pick.

Whether this Draft is that untalented, or that the amount of European players has some people confused as to the talent level of this Draft, we will find out.

For the Warriors, the need is at center.....and preferably a big one.

But the fact is that this Draft has only one bonified big man in Enes Kanter, who will be gone by the third pick, if that. The other possible big man is Bismack Biyombo from the Republic of Congo, but his stock is said to be rising in the coming months from a top-10 pick to a top-5 pick because of his size and potential.

Realistically, if the Warriors want a big man, their best bet will be 6'9" Marcus Morris, who will be playing power forward in the NBA. If they want to reach a bit, they will go after Kenneth Faried from Moorehead State, the nation's leading rebounder in college this past season. But at 6'8", that is a lengthy reach in the Draft.

If you wanted to take this to Vegas, put your money on the Warriors drafting a European player. They're everywhere in this draft.

Jan Vesely from the Czech Republic is a bit of wishful thinking for the Warriors in their position, but if he is there at #11, the Warriors will not pass on him. The 6'11" SF/PF is predicted to be a late top-10 pick.

He is in one word "explosive" although he needs some work on his offensive game. For now, he lives above the rim.

The stock of these players will rise and fall before the 2011 NBA Draft on June 23. For now, the Warriors will be looking at size in the frontcourt and defense in the backcourt when making their pick at #11.

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San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey Will Be Changing Positions Sooner or Later

An article written for ESPN caught my attention this past week. The article was by David Schoenfield entitled "Mauer Position Change Becoming Inevitable."

Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins is batting .235 with 4 RBI's in just nine games this season. He has been hampered by a knee injury that has kept him on the DL since April 15, after being rushed back from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the offseason.

There is no current timetable for his return.

In the article, Schoenfield points that while Mauer's value at catcher may be high, his value on the DL is zero. Mauer will have to move away from catcher at some point in his career, and that point seems to be approaching ever closer these days.

Schoenfield goes into detail about how the Twins have Mauer signed until he is 35-years-old, and that first baseman Justin Morneau is signed through 2013, which hurts because first base would be the obvious position to play Mauer other than catcher.

DH seems to be the only option for the Twins since Mauer is not equipped to play any other position other than catcher and first base.

But this article strikes close to home, as Eric Byrnes addressed on KNBR last week.

Here, in the Bay Area, we have our own version of Joe Mauer in Buster Posey. A solid catcher who can produce at the plate as well as any other hitter in the league, as Mauer was before his injuries.

Using Mauer as the prime example, it is inevitable that Posey will be changing positions within the next five years.

If the San Francisco Giants want his bat for his entire career, as I'm sure is quite high on their priority list, they will switch Posey to a different position.

Honestly, this will not be as big a shock in the coming years as it is right now.

Posey played shortstop for Florida State his freshman year in college, batting .346 in that season. His move to catcher was only to guarantee him a roster position in Major League Baseball by making him unique as a catcher that could hit, instead of a shortstop that could hit.

So Posey can play the field with no problem, or at least with less problem than, say, a Joe Mauer.

Here is where it gets tricky if you are the San Francisco Giants.

Looking down the road a few years, the Giants' infield will consist of Pablo Sandoval at third base and Brandon Belt at first base. These are guarantees in the field that hurt Posey because those would be the two positions that would come most naturally to him.

For those saying to put him back at shortstop, that is no longer an option. As Byrnes put it, his legs are like "tree trunks" now. He will not be able to cover that much ground, as he will need to do.

That does not rule out an outfield spot for him, though.

Sure, center field and right field may not be options, especially at AT&T Park, but I'm sure Posey could do just as good a job in left field as Pat Burrell does right now.

More realistically, Posey will be playing second base for the Giants sooner or later.

As Schoenfield pointed out, former Houston Astros' catcher Craig Biggio did it. In fact, he is the only catcher to move to second base from catcher, and play on a regular basis, in baseball history.

Well, make some room, Biggio.

Given the Giants' roster situation in a few years, the ballpark they play in, and the seemingly constant reminder of the clock ticking on Posey's legs, as being currently proven by Joe Mauer, the Giants will inevitably have to move Posey from catcher to second base in the coming years.

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San Jose Sharks' Game 7 Win Slays Many Demons

In what will go down as one of the greatest wins in San Jose Sharks’ history, the Sharks avoided just that and advanced to the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night.

Vindication.

There were sweat and tears in this series, and that was just from the fans sitting at home in front of their televisions. Thursday’s Game 7 epitomized what this series was all about, what the Sharks/Red Wings rivalry is all about and what hockey is all about.

The Sharks avoided what could have been an epic collapse that would have gone down in history, after being up 3-0 in the series, only to see the Red Wings battle back and win three straight games to force a final Game 7.

But just as we saw in each and every game this series, one goal separated these two teams, and it was Patrick Marleau’s goal at 12:13 in the 3^rd period that was the difference in Game 7.

It did not come without turbulence, though.

Ryane Clowe was a game-time decision heading into Game 7, to start off, but it was what happened in the game that had this team seeing the building crumbling down upon them once again.

When the Sharks scored, the Red Wings scored. Twice that happened. Even after the Sharks were up 2-0 in that 1st period, the game never felt like it was in the hands of the Sharks

Down to the very last penalty kill, this game was not over. But two penalty kills in the final 10 minutes of regulation brought this team together and the gritty team that we saw for the majority of the regular season showed up once again just in time

The Sharks are heading to Vancouver.

Sure, it took longer than everyone expected, especially with the Sharks being up 3-0 to start the series, but this was one of the most evenly matched series you will ever come across.

Chokers, they are no longer.

This was a franchise-defining game for the Sharks. If they lose, it sets the team back several years. There were even talks of blowing the team up by trading away core players and starting next season with a new product, which seemed like the only viable option for a historic meltdown in such a crucial series.

But win, and the Sharks continue their climb in the playoffs, and as a franchise with heart and determination after so many years of lacking just that.

The win accomplishes that.

This win was for years of failure and being dubbed a team that cannot play well when the game gets tight.

But when the game got tight in Game 7, Marleau scored, the defense stood strong, the back checking picked up and Antti Niemi was electric in net.

Yes, the Sharks will go down in history, but not for the reason that everyone around the country may have hoped for going into Game 7.

The Sharks are heading back to the Western Conference Finals in search of their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

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