So this was announced yesterday. Overall, it's a net positive for the Warriors. They give up some good role players in Turiaf and Azubuike and one potential star in Randolph. However, Turiaf has most likely reached his ceiling (being a good back-up center), Azubuike is coming off a pretty horrific knee injury, and Randolph has a lot of maturing to do before he can reach his full potential (which is not a guarantee). No one would ever mistake David Lee for an impact star player. He puts big numbers up on a bad team but last time I checked, the Warriors were not a great team. Lee will get his numbers but let's just hope that a few extra wins come along with them.

I just saw a great game between the Warriors and the Lakers. Outcome wasn't good (LA won) but man, it was competitive down to the last minute. Couple of free throws made by GS and couple missed by LA and the game could have gone the other way. Cause for optimism comes from the two previous games versus Phoenix and Boston. With their two bigs back (Biedrins and Turiaf), GS shows the potential of the team that some picked as the 8th seed in the West. The true test will be the next 27 games where they will have 18 at home. It'll be nearly impossible to make up 8 games to catch up to the 8th seed but a decent showing could go a long way towards whether they are sellers or buyers at the trade deadline. BTW, best block I've seen from Turiaf in a while and that's for a guy who gets a lot of good blocks every game.

As the Amare to Warriors trade rumor gains steam, it got me thinking that next year should be Kelenna Azubuike's time to shine. This is a guy who plays with a ton of heart and always gives maximum effort. Being undrafted, he's got a huge chip on his shoulders and understands that being on an NBA roster is a privilege and not a right. His numbers have improved every year as he gets more minutes and more confidence. The thing I love about him is for a 6' 5" guy, he rebounds with the best of them. Kinda reminds me of when Jason Richardson lead all SG's a few years ago in rebounds (6.7 a game). If the 2005 NBA draft were re-ordered here's how I'd see it:
 
Brandon Roy
Rajon Rondo
LaMarcus Aldridge
Paul Millsap
Rudy Gay
Randy Foye
Kelenna Azubuike
 
If Amare does come to the W's, here's my projected starting five - Monta, Azubuike, Jackson, Randolph, and Stoudemire with CJ, Morrow, Maggette, and Turiaf as the main bench players. Assuming Randolph continues to develop, I'd say the Warriors are a solid playoff team - maybe as high as 5th or 6th seed but more likely 7th or 8th.

There's a trade rumor out there that Amare Stoudemire may be moved to the Warriors for Biedrins, Wright, and Belinelli. If this happens, the W's are instantly a playoff team (assuming Amare stays healthy). Wright and Belinelli are improving players but I don't see them being superstars. Biedrins is a little bit harder to part with. He improved every season he was in the league and at only 23, he has a ton of upside. Though still raw and with few real post moves, he's shown an ability to rebound, run the floor, and play the pick and roll. With Nash dishing to him, I think he'll flourish in Phoenix.
 
A potential starting 5 for the W's would be Ellis, Maggette, Jackson, Randolph, and Stoudemire with CJ, Curry, Morrow, Azubuike, and Turiaf on the second team. Again, just a rumor.