So it appears the major moves of the offseason have been completed by the Golden State Warriors. The chances of the team adding anyone else significant beyond Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Marcus Williams, after losing Baron Davis to the L.A. Clippers, are slim. The only other possible move would seem to involve trading forward Al Harrington, which seems unlikely now that Williams will fill the vacant backup point guard role. Harrington should keep the starting power forward seat warm for Brandon Wright to take over by midseason, if not earlier.
The questions are: Will all this result in a playoff appearance after this past season’s absence? And, are the Warriors better off with these three going forward than they were this past season with Davis? (as well as Matt Barnes and Kelenna Azubuike, who might both be gone after signing restricted free-agent deals with the Suns and Clips, respectively. The Warriors have the option to match.)

Answers: Short-term, no. The Warriors will likely miss the playoffs again in ‘08-09 because of defensive deficiencies. Long-term, though, the answer is yes. It’s time to take the training wheels off for Monta Ellis, who will be forced to become a starting point guard in the mold of former Warrior Gilbert Arenas. He may be shoot-first, but so was Davis. And if you think the Warriors played fast last season, just wait until the fastest player in the league has the ball in his hands to begin almost every possession.

There’s a good chance the Warriors wouldn’t have made the playoffs again even if the team kept Davis through a new deal. Going down the list of Western Conference teams, you couldn’t put them in front of the Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz and Rockets. And with only three spots remaining, Golden State would have been fighting for table scraps with the Mavericks, Nuggets, Suns and Trailblazers. (If you’re not in the top four in the West, you’re simply not going to advance because of the importance of home-court advantage, as seen in this year’s playoffs.)

Davis looked terrible by the end of the schedule and was benched in odd fashion in the last must-win game of the regular season by coach Don Nelson, which, in hindsight, was a possible indication that something strange was going to happen this offseason. (see Baron Davis saying he wouldn’t opt-out of the last year of his deal days before he signed a new deal with the Clips)
The good news is that all future money can be spent re-signing center Andres Biedrins and Ellis, rather than tied up in a new deal for Davis. Add in the experience factor that Ellis will gain as the main man, and you’re getting a better a bang for your buck.

Unlike my colleague Scott Adams, who wrote a column lamenting the Warriors’ signing of Turiaf from the Lakers, I think the deal makes perfect sense for Golden State.

Biedrins is skinny. Wright is skinny. Harrington is undersized and kind of skinny. Who exactly is going to bang bodies in the post with Utah’s Carlos Boozer or Shaq when the Suns come to town (or vice versa). It’s not a big role, but 20 minutes and six fouls are all the Warriors are looking for from the guy. Better than another big man that likes to sit at the top of the key and play pop-a-shot without ever getting dirty in the paint (See Austin Croshere).

Maggette is a bit of a ball-hog, but who wasn’t on the Clippers last year. He should help the Warriors attack the basket (ala Davis) while also pitching in on the glass. Chris Mullin also signed him because of his work ethic, hoping it would rub off on other team members.
And as for Williams, I’ve been a fan since college. He has excellent court vision as long as he isn’t focused on his own shot and is in shape. (I still have no idea how an NBA point guard can be out of shape.) If Williams just focuses on passing and getting up and down the court, he could be a great fit considering everyone else on the team is looking for their own shot.
In the end, though, it will all come down to Ellis. He’ll set the tempo for this next season and those to come. His talent is undeniable, but learning how to get everyone else involved and then taking over when necessary will be a learning process. It could happen in one year, but it would be a better bet to bank on it happening in 2009-10.