Golden State Warriors: 2009 NBA Draft

Jason Brubaker — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:55:44 -0700

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

- We’ll update our Team Capsules with more specific info once the lottery is complete.

Golden State Warriors

2008-09 Record: 29-53

Draft Picks: 7 (projected)

Key Free Agents: Jamal Crawford, CJ Watson (restricted)

How they got here:

Turns out, defense is kind of important in the NBA these days. The Warriors ranked second in the league in points per game, but last in points allowed, which helps explain their record. The team has plenty of scoring options, especially on the perimeter, but they have no real inside presence, and an inconsistent rotation killed the team chemistry. Monta Ellis only played in 25 games, which hurt, but that doesn’t fully explain the dismal performance. With the volatile Stephen Jackson serving as the de facto leader on the floor, the Warriors were disjointed and prone to inconsistency. The Warriors have some talented pieces, but this team was thrown together with no regards to meshing talents, and their play reflected it. They have an abundance of shoot-first wings and two young, lean, athletic forwards in Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright who need more court time to develop.

Who they’ll take:

A pass-first point guard would be a welcome change of pace for the Warriors, who often times look as though their goal is for each player to shoot as much as possible. Brandon Jennings would be a good fit, and his athleticism would fit right in with their up tempo attack. The Warriors also lack a lot of depth in the post after Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf, as Randolph and Wright aren’t strong enough to be effective in a halfcourt set. Getting a bruiser like Patrick Patterson or DeJuan Blair would help up front. Given their lack of emphasis on chemistry though, the Warriors may be content to draft a more talented player who may not fill a need, like Wake Forest’s James Johnson or USC’s Demar DeRozan, both players who would likely thrive in their system.

Draft History:

2008: Anthony Randolph (14), Richard Hendrix (49)

2007: Marco Belinelli (18), Jemareo Davidson (36), Stephane Lasme (46)

2006: Patrick O’Bryant (9), Kosta Perovic (38)

2005: Ike Diogu (9), Monta Ellis (40), Chris Taft (42)

2004: Andris Biedrins (11)

2003: Mickael Pietrus (11), Derrick Zimmerman (40)

2002: Mike Dunleavy Jr. (3), Steve Logan (29)

2001: Jason Richardson (5), Troy Murphy (14), Gilbert Arenas (31)

2000: Chris Porter (55)

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Top Prospects

Stephen Curry - PG/SG - Davidson

Tyreke Evans - PG/SG - Memphis

Blake Griffin - PF - Oklahoma

James Harden - SG - Arizona State

Jordan Hill - PF - Arizona

Ty Lawson - PG - UNC

BJ Mullens - C - Ohio State

Ricky Rubio - PG - DKV Joventut

Brandon Jennings - PG - Arizona

Hasheem Thabeet - C - UCONN

golden state warriors

Golden State Warriors: 2009 NBA Draft