Golden St. Warriors '97-98

The Bay Area has numerous microclimates, most of which are quite good year round. During the summer, though, when it's hot one place, you can usually go five miles and get cooled off by the Bay. During the winter, it may be cold and wet one place, but dry and sunny right across the Bay.

Since the weather is so nice and outdoor activities are essentially free, people look at Golden State Warriors games that cost $100 per seat, and they go 5 miles.

The Warriors lost anywhere from 30% to 50% of their season ticket holders from last year. The reasons are simple: The team is not entertaining and they raised ticket prices 50%. Simple economics indicates that raising prices will reduce demand. Simple economics also indicates that a lower quality product will reduce demand. Put this together with tremendous competition from everything else in the Bay Area and the Warriors are in trouble.

The Warriors have acquired the number one pick in the draft two times since '94 and they haven't been able to turn it into success. First, Chris Webber fought with Don Nelson and both eventually left town. Then Joe Smith joined the team and stopped doing the things that made him successful in college. This will likely be his last season in the Bay Area before skipping town.

With draft picks, hope doesn't spring eternal, hope springs out of town the first chance it can.

This does seem to be the pattern, not only with Golden State either. Quick!: Guess how many of the draft picks of 1992 (only 5 years ago) are still with the teams that drafted them. There were 54 total picks, around 30 of which are still in the NBA. This was and still is considered a strong draft, by the way. It had Shaquille O'Neal, who left Orlando for the purple and gold -- at least the gold -- of the Lakers. It had Alonzo Mourning, who turned on Charlotte. It had Christian Laettner, who is doing well in Atlanta now that he's out of Minnesota. It had Jimmy Jackson, who ultimately couldn't mesh with more recent high picks in Dallas. It had Tom Gugliotta, who was an All-Star last year in Minnesota after having played for two other teams. It had Walt Williams, who played a strong role in Toronto last year after getting out of Sacramento. It had Robert Horry, Tracy Murray, Hubert Davis, Popeye Jones, Don MacLean, and the ever-frustrating Oliver Miller. None of them are still with the teams that drafted them.

After five years, only four players are with their original teams. Kids stay in college longer than that.

The average person changes jobs 6 times in their lifetime. NBA players are raising that average.

And the reason for that: If they don't like the climate on one team, just hold out five games and their team will change.

We're all a little spoiled.