Trade Deadline It's a nail-biter for me right now. All I can do is wait and see.

Mid-Season Team Outlook, 2004

The All-Star break has come and gone and I am looking forward to the second half with the team. One thing I have been concerned about is the type of team we have. Earlier this year, we've been able to get big wins against teams like Sacramento, L.A. and Minnesota. At the same time, we have the tendency to lose against teams we should be able to beat (we scored just two points in the fourth quarter against Toronto, tying an NBA record)

It's a troubling thing right now. We need to win the games we can win. And we need to win the big ones as well. That's what I mean when I say I don't understand the team. I haven't been there for the big games. I'm on the bench but not in the guys' psyche. And I think when you're playing, you kind of know what's going on. For me, I'm still behind, trying to figure out what the identity is on this team - what are our strengths and weaknesses. It's hard to know that, and I think my being gone for quite a bit of time is directly related to some of that.

The way this team plays against big teams, we should be chewing up and spitting out the lesser teams. But we haven't done that on a consistent level. That's really quite puzzling to me, and I can't give you a good reason why that is. All I can say is that we have to learn to have the same intensity in the not-so-big games as well as the big ones.

What IS obvious is that we have a very talented team. And the intention to bring in veteran players to help mature the younger guys and bring them to a level of knowing what it takes to win certainly has worked to a certain extent. Now for the next step – even during the games that we should win, we're winning for most of the game. Sometimes, we're winning for 30 minutes or 36 minutes or 44 minutes. The question now is how do we win for the full 48 minutes and keep our concentration. And that's what I don't know yet.

We're very close to the trade deadline. And I'm sure a lot of you may have heard some rumors involving some of the guys on the team – myself included. The trade deadline has to be a distraction to some of the guys. It's all about your livelihood and the possibility of not being with the team with which you have just spent the last 5 months. Whether or not it's part of the business, (which it is – a lot of people have gotten used to that), you can't help but have it in the back of your mind. It's just a natural part of the game, and it's a natural part of human beings to be curious. It's certainly on the back of our players' minds. You don't let it dictate your life for the most part. But it's there.

When there is talk about trades, it's usually about how well you fit in with the team and what are the intentions of the team. From a Warriors perspective, I am a free agent this summer. There has to be some consideration in their mind if they have any interest in me. Certainly, I'm always asking myself, is this the place where I want to stay?' And is this the place where I can be the type of basketball player I want to be?' We're thinking about each other and about our relationship. Are we going to have a marriage or are we going to have a divorce. It's all just natural at this time of year.

Check back again soon. I'm sure I'll have more on my mind once the dust settles after the trade deadline.

- Adonal