Oakland Tribune

October 10, 2004
by Dave Del Grande

Foyle is Just One Part in Replacing Dampier

Adonal Foyle figures he's going to be the Golden State Warriors' starting center this season.

Who's the finisher is anyone's guess.

Game-ending lineups and strategies are just two of the many things dribbling through Mike Montgomery's head as he and the Warriors embark on a eight-game preseason schedule tonight at 6 in Sacramento.

"Basketball is a team sport. The more people you get to contribute, the better off you are," Foyle said of the prospects of replacing Erick Dampier, the Warriors' leading rebounder and third-leading scorer last season.

"I'm sure there are going to be nights Mike Montgomery wants me on the floor at the end of the game. And there are going to be nights when he wants someone else. That's fine. That's his decision.

"We all want one thing -- to win."

Re-signing Foyle, who had a 20-point, 16-rebound outing against Minnesota in Dampier's absence last April, was only part of Chris Mullin's plan to fill Dampier's big shoes this season. Vet Dale Davis, a part-time starter for Portland last year, also was imported as part of the Nick Van Exel trade.

Mullin is big on having complementary pieces available at all positions, yet he concentrated on defense in his summertime center moves because he had offensive-minded Troy Murphy among his returning possibilities at the position.

Montgomery already has given a lot of thought to how he might use his two power forwards -- Murphy and Clifford Robinson -- in tandem.

"The threat of Cliff and Troy stepping out deep opens the court for you. It's an exciting prospect," the rookie coach said. "You want your best players on the floor. If Cliff and Troy are among our better players, we'll want to get them on the floor together."

Foyle and Davis combined to average 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots in 35 minutes per game last season, so the Warriors feel pretty good about their interior play on the defensive end.

But neither is a feared post player on offense -- nor is Murphy or Robinson -- so Montgomery is as likely to call a play for guard Jason Richardson on the block as anyone else.

That's not going to ruffle any feathers, Murphy assured.

"Anytime I'm out on the court, it doesn't matter where it is," Murphy said. "I know what I have to do.

"We have a lot of guys on this team who can do a lot of things. That helps make you a good team."

Regardless of where he's instructed to be at the end of the game, Foyle is confident he'll get more than enough playing time over the course of the 48 minutes to be a big-time contributor to the Warriors' cause this season.

He's thrilled by that prospect.

"It's my time. I've been in the league seven years. I've paid my dues," he said.

"I don't have to change much. I know what I bring to the team. Except now instead of doing it for 10 minutes, I'm going to be doing it for 25 or 30 minutes. I'm not going to try to invent the wheel. Whatever Mike Montgomery wants, he's going to get."

Davis, a 35-year-old whose playing time diminished to next-to-nothing late last season, believes Montgomery is going to get more than he realizes out of him.

"I look at this as a great opportunity to show what I can still do," he said. "I can still play."

We'll see ... starting tonight

Copyright © 2004, Oakland Tribune

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