Halftime

Tonight's game was our forty-first, and you know what that awkwardly arbitrary number means: we have just completed the first half of our schedule. Let's use this twenty-hour midseason hiatus to reflect on the season to date.

Overview

The Warriors are 13-28. You could call this the third-worst record in the league, but me, I'm no hater... I'd call it the 28th-best record in the league. And our -3.3 average point differential is far better than that record suggests, with this Nets blowout adding some polish. We were third-worst in this category a few weeks ago, but have since edged the Pistons, Wizards and Pacers; we're now tied with the Kings, just behind the Bulls, and within shooting distance of the Clippers and Sixers. John Hollinger's stat-based Power Rankings now peg us as the 23rd-best team in the league. And while the remaining schedule doesn't figure to be easier than the first 41 -- our brutal early schedule was essentially canceled out by this rest-heavy homestand -- it doesn't figure to be harder, either. We will probably catch a few teams in the overall league standings before the season is done. Basically, we're looking pretty good for that coveted eighth pick in the draft.

Nellie needs 24 wins to pass Lenny Wilkens... he is on pace for 26. Never let it be said that the big man doesn't know drama.

Awards

Best Player: Corey Maggette

Worst Player: Mikki Moore

Most Underrated: Andris Biedrins

Most Overrated: Monta Ellis

Most Underused: Anthony Randolph

Most Overused: Vladimir Radmanovic

Trending Up: Stephen Curry

Trending Down: Anthony Morrow

A Guy We Miss: Kelenna Azubuike

A Guy We Don't: Stephen Jackson

Best Bench Cheerleader: Ronny Turiaf

Best-Dressed Cheerleader: Brandan Wright

Best D-Leaguer: Anthony Tolliver

Biggest Gunner: Cartier Martin

Saltiest Veteran: Devean George

Saltiest Rookie: Chris Hunter

Best Tweeter: C.J. Watson

Best Cameo: Raja Bell

Missing, Possibly Dead: Speedy Claxton

Best Game: Warriors 132, Suns 127 (12/26/09)

Worst Game: Clippers 118, Warriors 90 (11/6/09)

Five Good Things So Far

1) Stephen Curry is looking like an excellent young player.

2) Monta Ellis has been healthy and playing with passion.

3) Corey Maggette has been downright stellar.

4) The front office was able to move Stephen Jackson in a decent trade.

5) The Warriors have had unusually good chemistry for a terrible team.

Five Bad Things So Far

1) The Warriors are a terrible team.

2) We've suffered significant injuries to many of our key guys.

3) Monta Ellis has not been effective with the ball in his hands.

4) Stephen Curry has struggled to make plays in the halfcourt.

5) Don Nelson has been coaching like absolute dogshit.

Second-Half Questions

1) Can Steph Curry turn his vaunted playmaking potential into actual playmaking results?

2) Can Monta Ellis figure out how to make his Superman routine more effective?

3) Can Andris Biedrins make his way back into the offense, or make 20% of his free throws?

4) Will Larry Riley successfully move Corey Maggette while his trade value is at its peak?

5) Can Anthony Morrow regain his shooting assertiveness?

6) Will Anthony Randolph play again this year?

7) Will Ronny Turiaf ever look like himself?

8) Can any of the D-Leaguers show enough to stick around?

9) Will Nellie resort to smallball again as soon as heath allows it?

10) Can we post a winning record in our final 41 games?

Barring any new catastrophes, the answer to the final question is yes. Tonight's roster featured Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins... Monta tweaked his ankle, but isn't expected to be out long. And that's a quintet that can go 21-20 from here, even if the reinforcements stay thin. Many teams will be playing at half-speed in February and March, either because they've clinched the playoffs or because they're hopelessly far out of contention... it's a time when you can win some games if you're inclined to. Which we should be, no matter what it does to our draft positioning. The Warriors need to give their fanbase an extended stretch of viable basketball. It's time to show some proof of concept... the team should want to show that there's something that can work here.

And Nellie should want to go out on a good note, as there's just no way he's coaching this team next year. With a 21-20 finish to his final season, he could retire with his head held high, and leave behind a franchise with some momentum and enthusiasm. He will need to work hard and be willing to change his thinking, but he's done plenty of both in years past. It's not impossible that he's got enough juice left for one last good push. And if it's in there, he should find it -- for the players, for the fans, for himself.

Don Nelson's incredible, decades-long NBA story can end in one of two ways: with a successful and exciting 41-game run that reminds everyone why he was so great in the first place, or with more of the same apathy and stubborness we've seen for the past 123 games. We can and do hope that he'll choose the first ending. But, as always, it's up to Nellie.