As much as I miss Mark Jackson’s proverbs and shouts of “hand down man down,” his Warriors are one of the most interesting teams of the new NBA season. The little three as I like to call them, or Monta Ellis, Steph Curry, and David Lee, have been in the purgatory of other California teams for far too long. Now that the Lakers’ supremacy looks shaky, it seems every other team in the state is coming for the throne. After blowing a halftime lead to the Clippers in the season opener, the Warriors easily handled the Chicago Bulls in the second game of the year. The problem for the Warriors is they have a delicate balance. Monta Ellis is a purebred scorer that can be selfish on the floor. Last year, he attempted nearly 600 more field goals than Steph Curry, even though Curry had a better field goal percentage. In the win over the Bulls, both Curry and Ellis had over 20 points, and more importantly, Ellis had 7 assists and Curry had 10. This is the sort of play that can win them games. There potent scoring attack has to stay balanced. The true key, however, to a successful season for the Warriors, is David Lee. Lee was highly coveted after his impressive years with the New York Knicks. He was averaging 11.7 rebounds per game in his last 2 years with the Knicks, yet in his first year with Golden State, he only averaged 9.8. Lee is also a dynamite scorer, but this specific team needs a big body to get 2nd chance points and good pick and roll defense. The Warriors outside shooting should allow Lee plenty of offensive rebound opportunities and easy put backs. Any of these three are great fantasy investments, but they’re also a team with a clear shot of making the playoffs in a struggling Western Conference.
