Basketball betting dynamics are likely to change this year for the Golden State Warriors as they have turned the page for what looks to be a new and exciting era.
Newness
The Warriors have a much needed new ownership group, 8 new players in training camp, snazzy yet old school new uniforms, and now a new coach with Keith Smart. Smart replaced long time coach Don Nelson, who was in his second tour of duty with Golden State and the man who won more NBA games as a head coach than anyone else in history.
Stale
The entire Warriors organization had grown stale over the years, with mediocrity as the standard. Nelson was being tuned out by the players and Golden State’s record slipped to among the worst in the NBA. It was a franchise that needed a brand new makeover rather than a tweak.
Golden State general manager Larry Riley felt it was obvious that his organization needed a change heading into the season and worked out an agreement with Nelson for Smart to take over. While Nelson was respected by players and handicappers at SBG nobody is sad about the change which was way past due.
Optimism Abounds
Guard Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors have expressed a new found sense of optimism heading into the 2010-11 season. While Golden State is still a +10000 NBA basketball betting longshot to win the title the Warriors organization believes that the worst is now behind them and that the best days yet are still ahead.
Clashes
Nelson would often clash with younger players such as Andris Biedens and was known for his poor communication skills. Nelson’s work ethic was also criticized as he often left it to then assistant coach Smart to run practices and meetings. Nelson came off as stubborn and unwilling to change and that was reflected on the court as Golden State finished 26-56 straight up last year with a defense that ranked 30th in the NBA.
Amicable Separation
In the end Nelson and ownership parted on good terms. Smart is optimistic that the Warriors will show basketball betting improvement on defense as they have bulked up the roster with bigger and more physical players. He also understands that communication with players is of paramount importance that in order to succeed he will need to be a good listener.