Bay Area basketball fans still bathe in the glory that was the 2007 NBA Playoffs. Taking town the top-ranked Mavericks in six games electrified the fan base, who had not tasted playoff glory since 1994. Winning the first round series was akin to a Championship for the underdog Warriors. Hopes were set to the maximum for the future; the organization had experienced success and naturally craved more.
The following season started poorly, with the trade of star shooting guard Jason Richardson to the Bobcats. However, the Warriors recovered from a slow start to put themselves in playoff contention. Sadly, a 48-34 record was not sufficient enough to secure a place in the 2008 Playoffs. Still, the fan base was energized, nearly selling out every game that season.
That offseason, local hero Baron Davis opted out of his contract and signed a five year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Not only did this sting for Warrior supporters because of their affection for Davis, but it meant another lost member of the 2007 Playoff run, which now seemed only a distant memory.
The 2008 and 2009 season were serious rebuilding efforts. The Warriors managed a 29-53 record in 2008, and a 26-56 record in 2009. While fans might remember this time with disgust, the Warriors were able to put together some high-energy, high-offense games. However, the line-up lacked serious depth, with the Warriors struggling to fill line-ups in some games. With rumors circulating of the divide between Ellis and Curry, speculation was high that Ellis would leave.
Instead, the organization decided to run with an Ellis/Curry back court. Under new ownership, David Lee was brought to the Warriors in exchange for Turiaf, Randolph and Azubuike. This season has been much more successful than the last two, with the Warriors guaranteed to amass more wins easily (currently 27-34). They are very dominant at home, and have taken down teams such as the Bulls, OKC, Utah and New Orleans, showing their ability to hang with the big boys.
Throughout the miscues and blemishes since the 2006-07 season, the fans have remained passionate. Currently, the Warriors are 12th in the Western Conference, six games out of the playoffs. To make the playoffs, the Warriors will have to pull a .500 record, and then some. Sadly, playoffs seem unattainable at this part of the season, considering the current #8 seed (Memphis) has a 34-29 record. Achieving a .500 record should be the main goal of the season. It would demonstrate not only the ability of the Warriors to rebound from two poor seasons to find success, but also it would hush any talk that a Ellis/Curry back court cannot produce results. With 21 games to go, this implies that Golden State needs to win 14 of these games. Even if the Warriors do this, the playoffs are too far off.
I think the Warriors need Chris Mullen back.
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