The Golden State Warriors tip off their 2011-12 season Christmas night against the revamped Los Angeles Clippers.
Few people have high hopes for the Bay Area team in that game. And the same probably holds true for the year as a whole.
Golden State had a dismal 2010-11 season, finishing 12th in the Western Conference and third in the Pacific Division with a 36-46 record.
Obviously no one statistic will tell the tale of why the Warriors ended up 10 games out of the playoff hunt, so consider a few.
Golden State was in the NBA”s bottom three in the following categories: turnovers per game (16.1), rebound differential (-349), free throws made per game (15.7) and average points allowed (105.7).
Those problems, and others, worked together to crush the Warriors” chances last year, leaving them with many questions entering an abbreviated 2011-12 season.
One possible answer, according to upper management, was a coaching change.
The team hired former NBA point guard and ESPN analyst Mark Jackson, hoping a new voice could get through to the players.
The first-year (and first-time) head coach has a lot of pressure to fix issues that date back to the Don Nelson days and actually get good results from a team with one of the most talented starting lineups in the league.
Jackson has to get the Warriors” out of their run-and-gun mentality; it”s not sustainable, especially for a 66-game season jam-packed with back-to-backs.
Consistent defense will be a key.
Last year, Golden State ranked second in steals per game but 20th in opponent field goal percentage. The team got occasional stops but couldn”t keep the other guys from making shots – definitely not a recipe for success.
Since new acquisitions did not include defensive powerhouses, the front office is banking on Jackson”s ability to convince the returning stars to play well on both sides of the ball.
That of course implies the hope that his coaching style won”t get in the way of the team”s offensive prowess.
The Warriors finished seventh in the NBA in points per game (their fifth straight season in the top 10), fourth in 3-pointers made and second in 3-point percentage.
Shooting guard Monta Ellis had arguably his best season, power forward David Lee wowed with his consistent results and small forward Dorell Wright should have won the Most Improved Player Award (posting career-best averages in minutes, rebounds, assists, steals, points and 3-pointers made).
Golden State needs those three to perform as well or better this year to have any hope.
Starting point guard Stephen Curry (who injured his ankle in Tuesday”s preseason game) had a decent sophomore season but needs to work on getting more assists and having fewer turnovers. No doubt Jackson will help there.
Then there”s the big white Latvian elephant in the Warrior locker room.
Center Andris Biedrins is coming off of a horrible season highlighted by laughable totals in games (59), free-throw percentage (32.3), blocks per game (0.9) and points per game (5.0).
In today”s NBA (and the modern Western Conference), the Warriors will not thrive without a reliable big man.
If Biedrins doesn”t come through early, he”ll find himself parked on the bench watching second-year man Ekpe Udoh or veteran Kwame Brown in the starting spot.
On the subject of role players, Golden State did little to bolster its backup lineup. On the whole, the team added a lot of youth and a lot of guards, but made no big-name splashes.
Maybe new consultant Jerry West has a hidden plan because a No. 1 priority for the Warriors this offseason should have been adding depth.
Having a young, unproven bench will likely hurt Golden State this year although the youthful energy could help during the back-to-backs (and one back-to-back-to-back).
The Warriors probably have lofty goals for themselves but their fans shouldn”t, especially considering the team split its only two preseason games of the year.
Some guys looked sharp in those matchups, but the team underachieved and blew a last-minute lead in Sacramento Tuesday night – not a good sign for a group that went 10-31 on the road last year.
A .500 finish would be a good result for the Warriors.
Maybe with the shortened season that could be enough to get into the postseason conversation. And who knows, the young team could start to click and somehow exceed those expectations.
An important indicator will be whether the Warriors survive their first 10 games, a daunting stretch against seven playoff teams from last year. If they don”t, they could find themselves out of the hunt when the season has only barely begun.
