2007-2008 NBA Season Preview: Golden State Warriors

With an unexpected run into the 2007 NBA Playoffs and a surprise series win over the league's best team - the Dallas Mavericks - the Golden State Warriors ended their 13-year drought of post-season play to contend for the Western Conference crown, eventually maxing out as one of the West's final four teams at season's end. Because of returning head coach Don Nelson and the brilliance of former Golden State star-turned-front-office executive Chris Mullin and current point guard Baron Davis, the Warriors came through the league with roaring thunder.

While the previous season in 2007 looked bleak at first, with underwhelming talents in Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Troy Murphy, and Ike Diogu, Mullin was wise enough to see that making a change could enhance the Warriors' chances in doing something heard from the previous decade. In out-of-nowhere swingmen Matt Barnes and Kelenna Azibuike, along with Indiana malcontents Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington that were acquired by the Warriors for the Dunleavy-Murphy-Diogu trio, the groundwork was laid for a potent attack.

The good health of Davis also proved a good omen and the development of Monta Ellis taking on a Gilbert Arenas-like surge in his second NBA season powered the Warriors through one of the fiercest Texas teams of recent history.

The upcoming 2007-08 season has much to offer the Warriors in the form of still-untapped potential. With Barnes re-signing with Golden State, along with the rookie additions of Brandan Wright from North Carolina and the young Italian prospect Marco Belinelli, Warriors can rest a bit easier knowing that there is a competent bench behind the projected starters in center Andris Biedrins, Harrington, Jackson, Ellis and Davis.

While the immediate future does appear bright, Golden State also has some concerns over the developments of its player that lie in the dark. Golden State's 2006 top-ten pick, center Patrick O'Bryant, struggled mightily in his first season, becoming the first lottery pick to be sent down to the National Basketball Association Development League, or NBADL. In fact, O'Bryant was sent to the D-League on multiple occasions to build confidence and to get more comfortable holding his own space in the post-unfortunately, the young center built little confidence and held even less respect in the paint, causing coach Nelson to go into small fits about his lacking a true backup center. O'Bryant will have to come correct for the Warriors to give him playing time.

And then there are contract extension concerns, future flirtations with free agency to consider, and the team's ability to seize the momentum from the 2007 season to think about. But if Golden State should do anything, they should just worry about the new season, because after all-when you're the Warriors, you can't take any success for granted.

With fast breaks being run and three pointers being hoisted, the rest of the NBA can't take Golden State for granted either. Nobody wants to be struck by the Warriors' bolts of speed and skill.