Empty the Bench

A lot of NBA observers, Empty the Bench included, thought the Don Nelson-led Golden State Warriors were finally headed for significant improvement this season. On paper, this team is full of studs who should give their team a chance to win every night: Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Mikael Pietrus… the Warriors are not devoid of talent by any stretch of the imagination, and with Nelly behind the bench you’d think this group would be cemented as a top 8 seed in the Western Conference. Nuh uh.

Injuries to nearly every significant player at various parts of the season have decimated the team’s chances and, seemingly, morale. Perhaps more importantly the various sprains, tweaks and breaks have not allowed them time to gel as a cohesive unit. Add to that a massive midseason trade that brought in Harrington, team-cancer Stephen Jackson, and Sarunas Jasikevicius, and there’s doesn’t seem to be much of a chance for this team to put it all together and make a serious run for the playoffs. Fantasy owners with Warriors on their roster don’t have too much to complain about, but local fans who want to see their team succeed this season have pretty much thrown in the towel. And, according to San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Janny Hu, coach Don Nelson has just about given up, too:

In a two-minute soliloquy outside the visitors’ locker room, coach Don Nelson essentially waved the white flag on Golden State’s season and took the blame for stepping backward in Year 1 of his three-year reclamation project.

“I thought I could get this team in the playoffs and it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to do it,” Nelson said after a 113-83 waxing by the Bulls. “I feel like I’ve failed, really, in a lot of ways. I think I’ve done some good things, and I think it’s going to turn out just fine, but it doesn’t look it’s going to work out this year, so I’m pretty disappointed.”

“And not having enough juice in the tank to fight it out, that’s disappointing,” Nelson continued. “But that’s the way it is. You can’t get blood out of a turnip. You can’t beat a dead horse. And we were dead in the second half. I’m not blaming anybody but myself. I didn’t know what to do.”

It’s pretty clear that it wasn’t meant to be this season for the Warriors. If it’s any consolation for Warriors fans (and it’s probably not), at least this team has a core group of young players with great potential to succeed in Biedrins, Ellis, Pietrus, and Harrington (with a core that young, it may be wise to move J-Rich and Baron in the offseason to get a return on them while they still can). You can find more Warriors coverage from ETB here and here.

Possibly Related Content:

1. How About Those Golden State Warriors?


2. The Fate of the Golden State Warriors’ Playoff Hopes Will Be Decided by Captain Jack


3. The New-Look Los Angeles Clippers vs. the New-Look Golden State Warriors – Who Do You Like Better?


4. Gut Check Time: Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors Set for Battle to the DEATH!


5. The Fugly Files: Golden State Warriors Womens Tank (w/ Swarovski Crystals!)