Considerable linear extent in space #1: Seeing it equals believing it over here.

No two ways about it: I'm on the Anthony Randolph bandwagon. I don't know how many people proceed and surround me, here, but I figure there's a few of us weighing down the hitch and unbalancing things. Especially among Warriors fans. Cuz things in Oakland don't look so great right now. All we've got to vibe on is promise. And we all know promises don't mean shit. But we hope in vain--always and forever. To come clean: I didn't watch Randolph at LSU. I got hyped during his summer league flailings. From the little I saw, it looks like he can handle and refuses to give up his dribble; plain refuses to give up the ball. But I didn't get the sense, yet, that he's a chucker. He just feels driving, I think. And he glides as much as he jangles through the lane. He makes Cap'n Jax look like a stop-motion G.I. Joe.

Of course, Monta won't be making (most) people look like slow motion for a cool minute. Which sucks. And Baron's gone. Which is bittersweet. But Buike did well the other day, and Fast Andy will, I'm sure, only grow with more time on the block. We'll see how Corey Maggette's implacable will to drive meshes with Randolph and Monta in the new year, but, for now, it kinda makes sense to let a lot of offense go through him. With Monta out, Corey is easily the most talented and skilled offensive player who will see playing time. I'm ignoring Al Harrington because, well, as much as I love Donatello, he can't Superman his way to 20 and 10 with bad selection on 3 pointers only (and not using his body in the paint) and I don't see Nellie (or any fellow players, for that matter) letting the ball run through Al down low. I'm also ignoring defense, because, well, you know why. It's a weird roster. I've got my faves, of course, as highlighted by this column's patron saint (thank you, Jay Bilas) and the other young and lanky, B-Rite, who should only get/be better. But if I'm going to write about our W-men in each column, I'll try to find something more interesting to say beyond "so-and-so did so-what" as this progresses.

Because, patron saint or no, I do not want this to be a strict team-based journal. It will follow what I happen to watch, of course, but I trust TNT and TBS and ESPN and ABC will only let me watch so much. In fact, I don't even have cable. So unless I start hitting Triple Rock a lot, my main avenue of basketball intake will be Sunday double headers and internet highlights--which, of course, means I can write about what other people are writing about. But that can be boring, too. Here's what I'm going to try to do:

1. Follow a few personal obsessions, which are by no means "original" or even "particular to me," like Anthony Randolph, Kobe's legs (pace Tex), Mike Beasley's goof town lifestyle, Rudy Fernandez vs Greg Oden in ROY race (at least on the Blazers), how the Blazers should march through the world heads held high, Kevin Durant's eventual and terrible and hug-him-please cries on the inside under his (we hope) growing ferocity in the fourth, hating the WNBA, hating the Celtics but loving Bill "Sky" Walker, Houston getting big with Ron Ron up front and a vegan at the point, A.I., Melo, J.R. Smith, Josh Smith, Gay-Mayo, the Spurs devolving, the new Pistons, D'antoni running the Animal Apple in 7 sex or less, Chicago's all-backcourt starting five, Joe Alexander slaying the midwest AZN broads (they got those, right?) Yi left behind all clamoring, Yi making jokes with Vince about foolin'em all, LeBron stomping, Caron slicing, D-Wade getting anywhere at any moment to put up any shot possible ignoring the Matrix of possibilities behind him, Larry Brown shackling another flier in GW, Rick Carlisle making the Mavs that much more intolerable, somebody (please, somebody) punching Carlos Boozer's ugly fucking face, Kevin Love's chin strap and Mike Miller's grease-locks, more Beno Udrih push-offs, more Julian Wright--period--and Danny Granger, too, the Turkish Delight's inevitable backslide, Brand getting big with Thaddeus, Amare bouncing past everybody and everything when Shaq rides the bench and Nash tires for good, Baron looking to pass all street a lot more, Chris Bosh getting a hair cut or make over or something.

2. Make some jokes.

3. Invite some dialogue. Foreal: I don't know shit. I just like the game, and the league. As with anything I write, it's chiefly for me, but, since people may read this, well, why don't we chop it up a bit?

4. Not poach too too much, although some will be unavoidable--especially at the start--as I find my feet with this thing.

5.i. Ask "What is basketball?" in a different way each time out.
5.ii. For instance, this time I'm trying to show that it's stupid to plan (or even hope) for much when it comes to something (cough, life) with this many variables. You just gotta enjoy this flux of fun.
5.iii. Keep an eye to seriousness within the nonserious discourse of a goofy blog like this one, which may manifest itself in stuff like, yes, naming life a "flux of fun", thereby invoking philosophical premises I find internal but not integral to my understanding of the game and its place as a social function--on the court, for the fans, in pick up, in relation to rap, as ritual, as theatre, as platform for what's bigger.

Please, tell me things. --RWK

Encounter #109: Fast Andy, funny guy

A media day mess of BS from the Warriors' youtube page. Funny to see him talk about going to the club with "Buke", and, of course, Jax fooling on his hair gel. Not to mention that hug between him and Nellie. --RWK

What Community? #48: Lots of high pick and roll plays, lots of dunks, lots of boards.

Chris Mullin paid Andris Biedrins. Same contract length as Monta means the W-men have a core. A very young core. Young and developing, happy to play together, all kinds of superlatives can be thrown at these two. I'm still not convinced Monta will be a true point, nor if that will totally work for Nellball, but I do like how he feeds Fast Andy. And Fast Andy can grab a lot of boards if he's out there on the floor more than 27.4mpg. If he's allowed to start all 82 (providing he stays healthy, of course), and he's allowed to play more than 30 minutes per, then Fast Andy should totally be among the league leaders in rebounding, proving a lot of critics wrong that the W-men have no inside presence. Maybe. I mean, there's B-Rite, too, to gobble some minutes along with Mr Energy, Ronny Turiaf. I'm still waiting to see how this group coheres, or not, so I'll keep saying that this is the oddest group assembled in the NBA right now. They'll undoubtedly be an offensive force, and a team to watch, but I don't know if they'll make the field of eight. It just doesn't seem possible. It does seem possible, though, that they can continue to develop their pair of long, rangy types while losing more games than they'd like this season. I'm guessing B-Rite will develop with more of a defensive mindset than Randolph so they can probably play off Fast Andy in cool, different styles depending on the game and the situation. For instance: I bet Randolph sees more minutes against a team like the Hornets and B-Rite sees more minutes against a team like the Lakers (to pick from the top). Either way they've got an intriguing premise for a real nail-biter season, and a few seasons to come.

A late aside: I'm thinking of writing a weekly basketball column next season. Or, simply, a series with numbers. I don't know what form it will take, but my inclination is to deviate from this strong Warriors bias and look across the league like those prototypical liberated fans at joints like Free Darko and Ball Don't Lie and Hardwood Paroxysm. Any ideas for titles for this series? Right now I've got these terrible ideas:
--Fires Pale, Ballers Fly
--The Week in the NBA
--Ry's bball eyes
--B-Rite's pinky
--I don't know shit
--24 is after 23
--Numbers don't mean shit, or, Fuck numbers
--Dunks and blocks and dimes
--Steve Nash is old
--No more guns

Encounter #100: 6 years, 66 million.

Read about it here if you want. The other news is they matched Kalenna's offer from the Clippers. But, hear now: know that those are the same numbers that the A's gave Eric Chavez. I hate that my mind went directly there. But, hell, it did. Otherwise: sweet. Dude is fast. And, you know, young and shit. We'll see how he adjusts to this whole point guard thing next year. My prediction: no better than 6(maybe 6.5)apg for the season. But he'll still score 20ppg. And, being fast, he'll always be better than the ever-loathed Jamal Crawford because he does seem to like to pass and play with other people despite all his slashing and lane killing and ankle breaking and hang time scoring prowess/tendencies. As the roster is shaping up, the W-men seem like a mid-level team in the conference with no defense, really, and a lot of potential for balls out offense. They may not make the playoffs (hell, odds are squarely against it at this point) but they'll probably become everybody's favorite new Suns replacement. And, who knows, maybe they'll continue their bonding magic and skate into that 8th seed again on sheer enthusiasm. (I'll try not to get my hopes up now, nearly three months before the season starts. Shit, somebody can always get hurt. *knock knock*) How's this for a prediction? Anthony Randolph will be third in ROY voting. (Nah, he can't stop my boy, B-easy, from killing the field with smiles and stomps through the paint. Plus, you know, that Oden guy will be playing.) That projection may be a little high given he'll most likely be coming off the bench, but I just like his fierceness and his skill set that much. I'm guessing Nellie will, too. Can't wait for the first fast break he runs with Monta. Should be something to look forward to for a while to come. --RWK [video via FTB]

What Community? #44: That was quick.

I guess Baron sitting court side with pal Adam Sandler was not just a marketing ploy for that Zohan thing. I guess it really was foreshadowing. Baron's going home to play ball in Los Angeles. The deal came so quick it has me wondering if Baron's been hiding his plans for a while. It would make sense, I suppose, since he's been trying to play chess with the Warriors. Anyways, it's not even official yet; just a verbal agreement. This whole side of sports is just kind of annoying, and I wish I wouldn't pay this much attention, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't care. So: I'll probably pay closer attention to the next phase of Baron's career, as tinselstar PG on the other LA team, because he played such an important role in the past two years of serious Warriors resurgence. And because I just like the guy. He seems to be enjoying life. You see pictures of Jordan out and about, playing pool with cigars in the corner of his mouth, but he never seemed to be having much fun on the court. It was simply a test of will. Baron's out there smiling all the time. Just last week he played in Steve Nash's soccer game wearing a hat and Reebok Pumps. And why shouldn't he smile? It's a good life.

But back to basketball for a minute. The Warriors have made an offer to Elton Brand. I don't think this makes much sense, at least in terms of on-court needs. With Baron gone, they should devote all their resources to Monta and Fast Andy first. Then look around for a guard, like Kirk Hinrich or Luke Ridnour. They need somebody to play point; they have a glut of forwards to develop; Brand would sell tickets but not necessarily improve the team long term. Besides, he wants to remain a Clipper. Further, the Warriors should realize that they playoffs aren't a realistic goal this year without some kind of star wattage replacement (which won't happen with the Wizards offering Gil a near-max contract).

At least on paper, at least right now, the Warriors are a weird team: all long limbs and implacable desire to shoot, not drive, except for Monta. With the Blazers looking like they'll take over from the Spurs as the next dynasty, as well as the possible re-tooling of Denver (which would undoubtedly make them more cohesive, and better), not to mention the skill level of the Kings, and (oh yeah) the new and improved (already) Clippers, the final spot in the playoff field of eight will be hard won for whatever team pushes hardest. Don Nelson's team are renowned for pushing the break hard and fast but that continual lack of defense will catch up with them someday. Especially with a team full of young dudes known for their scoring, not defending. (Altho, to be fair, Fast Andy does a pretty good job and B-Rite can block shots with his pinky.) That's why next year all I'm hoping for (as of right now; we'll see how the summer develops) is a fearsome fast break, led by Monta and Anthony Randolph (I want to think of a nickname on my own but the only one that comes to mind is Rudolph, as in the red-nosed dude, cuz AR (wince) flies through the lane pretty well), with Cap'n Jax trailing at the 3-point line, that leads to a bunch of highlights and points off turnovers. Maybe if the W-Men stay real quick they can win more games than they're supposed to; but I still don't think they'll be enjoying the playoff glory again any time soon. Oh well. I just hope the team stays positive. With Baron gone, taking his infectious good nature with him, it might be hard. But people forget that Cap'n Jax is usually smiling, too. Like when he hit that game winner in LA late last season (in the first of a home-and-home) and cheesed all the way to commercial break.

At least we can say thanks to Baron for those highlights we did get to enjoy these past two years. And wish him continued good luck in the seasons to come. He probably needs the luck, right? That, or he needs to stretch a lot more. --RWK

What Community? #40: Baron Opts Out.

The buzz had been that Baron would not walk away from $17.8 million. Looks like he did. There's talk of The Clippers (Elton Brand and Corey Maggette opted out, too, potentially clearing some cap space) and the Knicks (D'antoni loves 3 pointers just as much as Baron; but D'antoni also like FG%, unlike BD) as possible destinations. I'm sure it's a story we'll be watching for weeks to come. But, regardless of destinations and endpoints, the only clear fact is that Boom, here, wants security. He wants to be wanted. He's no different than any of us! He's insecure, too, underneath it all! Or not.

I was coming to grips with the idea of a starting five reprise (Baron at 1, Monta at 2, Cap'n Jack at 3, Al at 4, Fast Andy at 5) with more playing time for the young guys (Belinelli spelling the backcourt, B-Rite and Randolph stretching in space at the 4). But maybe this means they sign Monta long term and put him at the 1? Despite Nelli's love, I doubt the W's resign Kalenna; I doubt we see Pietrus back; hell, isn't Patrick O'Bryant ready to bolt? If they do, somehow, manage to resign Baron and Monta and Fast Andy, tho, it'll be quite the energized team ready to win. They'll have a tough time contending with the Blazers' rise next season but I could see the W-men stepping into the playoffs ahead of the basket case Nuggets (even if they get Chauncey) and -- wait for it -- Steve Kerr's failed Suns experiment. Anyways: that's, like, a year away. For now the drama rests with number 5. Because, after that big trade, it doesn't look like Memphis will be looking at Monta after all. Although, to be honest, I worry somebody smart will offer Fast Andy a good deal the Warriors will be too stingy, and bolstered by too much confidence in B-Rite and Randolph, to match. --RWK

What Community? #34: ...in this club

Gotta love Monta cheering him on, with a good sweat going. Is this why they slowed down at the end? Shoals thinks it may be a bigger reason than weed why a lot of ballers don't always bring their A game. Pic stolen from drunkathlete.com, Carlton's new favorite website. --RWK

Encounter #72: "Fair Weather Fan" moment of the decade

This is from Bill Simmons' most recent all-NBA mailbag, which is a lot longer and insightful (and funnier) than I expected since I stopped reading Simmons with any kind of regularity about three years ago. But, now, peep this -- I couldn't agree more:

Q: As a Warriors fan who witnessed a truly unique fan experience last year, I feel the need to report that the fans officially jumped the shark (on Sunday night against the Mavs) when I witnessed The Wave at the Oakland Arena. Did you see it?
-- Mike, San Fran

SG: Yup, I watched it happen live and reacted the same way I did when Jaye Davidson revealed her member in "The Crying Game." For the real Warriors fans who stuck with the team through thick and thin and got priced out from home games after last spring's memorable run, we're feeling for you. Not only are we down to one potentially great NBA crowd and that's it (MSG if the Knicks ever get resucitated), but my "Roar of the Crowd" column from the 2007 playoffs officially feels like it was written 20 years ago. It's just appalling. I can't get over it. Is there any throwback experience that doesn't eventually get ruined in professional sports? Watching Warriors fans doing The Wave with one of their own players at the foul line would be like seeing Bruce Springsteen take over the "Our Country" commercials from John Mellancamp -- an indefensible, legacy-altering violation in every conceivable respect. This might have been the "Fair Weather Fan" moment of the decade.

Although I don't agree with his assessment that part of the reason the W-men are fading is because they don't have J-Rich's fire and that Monta isn't enuf of an "hombre"... The only thing logical in that response is that the team's biggest players (Baron, Jax, Monta) are tired because Nellie never rests them. Still, I'm holding out hope. Even though they'll most likely lose tomorrow and seal their fate as the most lovable flame-outs in recent memory (since those C-Webb/Divac Kings teams). And, who knows, maybe they'll be able to keep their core together. Just so long as they keep smiling before, during and after every game, including losses. (There's more to read about the Wave incident over here.) --RWK