The negotiations in the Amare Stoudemire trade have gone public, and who better than Don Nelson to throw some nice daggers. Check out this doozy, courtesy of Marcus Thompson II’s blog.
“I always saw Steve Nash in (Stephen Curry), and he is the greatest player I’ve ever coached,” Nelson said. “I’ve been looking for another one for a long time and this is as close as I’ve ever seen in a young player. He has that same ability that Steve had. Shooting, passing, knowledge, just the natural things he’s done that he’s worked on his whole life.”
In other words, “Hey Steve Kerr, you know how good Curry is? He’s as good as your team’s best player, who I coached when he was a young All-Star, not an aging star with back problems. We know the only other Stoudemire trade you have on the table is from the Rockets. So, unless you’re looking forward to a future where in the summer of 2010 your top order of business is deciding whether to max out Tracy McGrady or let him go for nothing, you better take our VERY generous offer of Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli.”
The Warriors are playing hardball right now, and what comes out of this will change the entire course of both franchises. If Kerr walks away from this trade because Nelson won’t budge on Curry, don’t be surprised if instead of Biedrins, it’s Monta Ellis who becomes the centerpiece of the Warriors’ inevitable blockbuster deal this summer. Monta’s been playing the role of the unhappy son for a while anyway, and Big Daddy Nelson has some ideas about the lineup that actually make sense this time:
“Yes, Jack is going back to 3. I emailed him that today, that “I moved you to 2 and you’re back to 3.” We like Morrow very much, too, as a player in the backcourt. Jack said, “Wherever you want me, that’s where I’ll be.”
Thank goodness. Jackson was supposed to guard 2’s this year, even though he’s 6’8″, 240 lbs and on the other side of 30? He’s a small forward, and playing him 40 mpg at the 2 would have led to another injury-plagued season like last year. The more time goes on, the more it looks like Nellie’s dream lineup (which changes pretty much weekly) looks like:
PG: Curry
SG: Morrow
SF: Jackson
PF: Randolph
C: Stoudemire
Well, unless Nellie trades Monta for a SG (I’d say T-Mac, but he makes too much and I doubt Daryl Morey would want to get locked into four years of Jackson or five years of Maggette, and the Warriors would never give up Monta and Andris to rent a hypchondriac for a year). The Warriors’ future is getting murkier by the day. The only thing clear is that Nelson’s running things, both in Oakland and maybe even in Phoenix.
Links to help waste away a sunny Saturday
- Mark Purdy says the Warriors are smart not to trade Curry, and should look at trading Monta instead. (SJ Mercury)
- Those dreaded bases on balls…they’ll get you every time. (Raising Matt Cain)
- Jonathan Sanchez has been replaced in the bullpen by…Ryan Sadowski??? (Extra Baggs)
- Quick rundown on Sadowski. First, he’s a beanpole (listed at 6’4″, 185 lbs). His last start was on June 20, when he went 6 innings and gave up 4 ER and 10 hits to Colorado. At Fresno this season, he’s 5-2 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Sadowski has a much higher K/9 (7.3) than teammate Kevin Pucetas (5.4), but walks 4.0 per 9 innings compared to Pucetas’ 2.6. Sadowski’s also given up 9 HR in 72 innings, but that number could be distorted since he’s pitching in the Pacific Coast League. Just a guess because I’ve never seen Sadowski, but I’m guessing he’s starting tomorrow because he’s rested, he won’t get knocked around too badly and the Giants aren’t worried about messing around with his options. (Baseball Cube)
- A body language expert analyzes eight David Stern handshakes on Draft day, including Curry’s. “It’s like he wants to be someplace else. There’s a lot of tension around the head. He’s not happy.” (Deadspin)
