With Christmas knocking on the door, this is the season to dream a little bit. After all, you never know when Santa just might deliver that shiny, red bicycle or better yet, the keys to a new Jaguar.
After enduring the most abysmal year in recent memory in Bay Area sports, one can only hope that our local teams sent their wishlists to the North Pole in plenty of time for Santa and his elves to work their magic. Exactly zero postseason games were played by our resident athletes-for-hire in 2005, meaning the teams’ request lists are longer than the players’ stretch limos.
With so much to wish for and just a few shopping days left, we’ll give you just a few of the highlights.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS:
Wish: The rights to the No. 1 overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft
That’s right, Niner fans–the top pick, but not necessarily Reggie Bush. Wait! Before you discount this column as heresy or, worse yet, fit only to re-ignite your Christmas fire, hear me out. Yes, USC’s standout tailback is a heart-stopping talent that will no doubt excel in the professional ranks. But with general managers across the league salivating at the prospect of landing Bush, San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan would be a fool not to at least test the market for his team’s pick.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The 49ers need to lose to win, first of all. Actually, they need to lose twice, to both St. Louis and Houston, in order to secure the draft’s No. 1 selection. If they are so fortunate, a Herschel Walker-type deal–a bounty of draft choices and players for the rights to pick Bush–could shore up the team’s numerous holes and be the quickest route to redemption. Bush would look great in scarlet and gold, but so would a game-breaking wide receiver, a few offensive linemen and a pass-rushing defensive end.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS:
Wishes: Consistent defense and a versatile big man
With the playoffs a distinct possibility for the first time since Chris Webber was in town and the heart of the roster in its mid-20’s, Golden State is drawing big crowds and thrilling its fans with its up-tempo play. But in order to take it to the next level–the ability to win a playoff series–the Warriors had better get serious about playing defense. Though the team seemed to relish holding its opponents down early in the season–the training camp directive of head coach Mike Montgomery–a disastrous run in which nine of its past ten opponents have scored 100+ points has Golden State needing to refocus its defensive tenacity. The return of injured swingman Mikael Pietrus will help, but a lock-down post defender would benefit the team immensely.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Warriors say themselves that they live and die with the three-point shot. That makes for some exciting shootouts, but when the gunners go cold, defeats are sure to follow. A low-post threat would round out Golden State’s already formidable arsenal, but scoring big men are at a premium around the league. Ike Diogu, the team’s 2005 No. 1 draft choice, has the body and the mindset to dominate in the paint, but missing most of training camp and the start of the season have him playing catch-up. In the coming months, look for Diogu to blossom as he gains valuable practice reps and game action. But with all of its perimeter scoring threats locked up for the next few years, Golden State will likely look for size and help in the paint again come draft day.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS:
Wishes: Health and the fountain of youth
Should its everyday players and the bulk of its pitching staff stay healthy, the Giants should win the NL West going away. While the rest of the division has largely stayed pat, San Francisco took care of its most pressing concern by signing free-agent starter Matt Morris and also added outfield depth and injury insurance with yesterday’s trade for Steve Finley. But so much rides on the health of outfielders Barry Bonds and Moises Alou, as well as pitcher Jason Schmidt. Receiving 130-140 each games from the outfielders and 28-30 starts from their ace should enable the team to reach the postseason. And then it’s anyone’s game.
But as usual, the Giants are in a win-now situation. As long as Bonds stays around, San Francisco will continue to make year-by-year decisions, but the development of young starters Noah Lowry and Matt Cain bodes well for the team’s future. If the farm system can start churning out some young position players–the jury is still out on Lance Niekro–San Francisco won’t suffer as steep a post-Bonds dropoff.
SAN JOSE SHARKS:
Wish: A dynamic young scoring threat
Wait! They already got one. Christmas came early at the Shark Tank with the arrival of former Boston star Joe Thornton. Triumphs in seven of its past eight contests, a run that began with a six-game winning streak, suggest that San Jose has turned its season around and looks primed to challenge for the Stanley Cup. Not only has Thornton reinvigorated his teammates, as evidenced by Jonathon Cheechoo’s hat trick Tuesday against Anaheim, but he has also sparked the revival of an entire franchise and fan base, much as Baron Davis has done for the Warriors.
OAKLAND A’s:
Wish: Some right-handed pop in the lineup
Don’t kid yourselves, A’s fans. Milton Bradley is not the answer. With Eric Chavez in his prime and a deep stable of young starting pitchers, everything points to Oakland remaining a challenger for the next few years. But in order to balance the lineup and provide Chavez some protection, general manager Billy Beane would do well to add a middle-of-the-order slugger, preferably of the right-handed variety. As we’ve seen, it would be foolish to underestimate Beane, but that lineup has a gaping hole, a fatal flaw come playoff time.
OAKLAND RAIDERS:
Wishes: A new owner and a genuine commitment to rebuilding
Somehow, the first seems like the most unlikely of all our wishes, but noneless, without a change at the top, Oakland seems doomed. Yes, a brief renaissance, as we saw in the Gruden Years, is always possible. But with Davis looming over the entire franchise, scaring off dynamic coaching talents and continuously overestimating free-agent talent, the Raiders are in a perpetual state of denial. They think they can win by adding the Sapps and Mosses of the NFL, but then end up near the top of the draft board yet again the next year. Forget the quick fix, Al. Build from the draft and banish your team’s chief cancer. Yourself.
