EDITOR'S NOTE: The NBA Draft Lottery takes place tonight at 5:00 p.m., which will reveal exactly where the Warriors will be selecting in the 2012 NBA Draft. Stay tuned with CSNBayArea.com and CSN Bay Area throughout the day for comprehensive coverage.
We all know the Warriors are no stranger to the NBA lottery,particularly in the recent past. Assuming the Warriors keep their No. 7selection, this will be the Warriors fifth consecutive season with a lotterypick. So, what do they have to show for all these recent highpicks?Well, you decide.The past four Warriors draft choices have been: KlayThompson in 2011; Ekpe Udoh in 2010; Stephen Curry in 2009; and AnthonyRandolph in 2008.Only two of those four players remainThompson and Curry.Udoh was traded this past season along with Monta Ellis to acquire centerAndrew Bogut. And Randolph was part of a sign-and-trade two offseasons ago thatnetted David Lee.But heres the question: If the Warriors could do the lastfour picks over again, how many changesif anywould they make? Heres alist of what players were available after the Warriors made the selections theydid since 2008.2011: Warriors select Klay Thompson with No. 11pick. Still on the board: Markieff Morris (No. 13 to Phoenix), Marcus Morris (No. 14 to Houston), KawhiLeonard (No. 15 to San Antonio, First-Team All-Rookie), Iman Shumpert (No. 17 to New York, First-Team All-Rookie), Kenneth Faried (No. 22 to Denver, First-Team All-Rookie).
The second guess: Tough to fault the pickof Thompson to this point. But the reality is the Knicks are no less happy withShumpert, the Spurs no less happy with Leonard, Phoenix no less happy aboutMarkieff Morris, and the Nuggets no less than happy with Faried than the Warriors are about Thompson.Marcus Morris struggled with Houston in his rookie season, andspent time in the D-League.2010: Warriors select Ekpe Udoh with No. 6pick. Still on the board: Greg Monroe (No. 7 to Detroit), Gordon Hayward (No. 9 to Utah), Paul George (No. 10 to Indiana),Patrick Patterson (No. 14 to Houston), Eric Bledsoe (No. 18 to Oklahoma City), and Avery Bradley (No. 19 to Boston).
The second guess: Monroe averaged 15.4pointswhile shooting over 50 percent from the fieldand 9.7 rebounds pergame this season. Udoh averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Case closed,according to most.But while most prefer Monroe over Udoh, that doesnt meanUdoh was a bad pick at No. 6. Udoh has the potential to be an elite defender atthe power forward spot and that counts for something.Hayward, George, and Bradley are already starters for playoff teams, and Bledsoe scored 23 points and 17 points against the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals, Games 1 and 4 respectively.
However, the reality is that ifBogut helps lead the Warriors to the postseason in 2012-13, not too many fanswill worry about having to move Udoh.2009: Warriors select Stephen Curry with No. 7pick. Still on the board: DeMar DeRozan (No. 9 to Toronto), Brandon Jennings (No. 10 to Milwaukee), JrueHoliday (No. 17 to Philadelphia), Ty Lawson (No. 18 to Minnesota), and Taj Gibson (No. 26 to Chicago)
The second guess: Curry was a no-brainerof a pick for the Warriors. The doubt was whether Curry would be there at No.7, not whether the Warriors would take him if he were.Curry had an encouraging first two seasons but missed mostof his third season because of an ankle injury, and there are concerns abouthis long-term durability.Nobody is saying the Warriors made a bad pick by takingCurry, but you could find plenty of fansand GMs, toowho would rather haveBrandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday or Ty Lawson over Curry at this point.2008: Warriors select Anthony Randolph with the No.14 pick. Still on the board: Robin Lopez (No. 15 to Phoenix), Marreese Speights (No. 16 to Philadelphia), RoyHibbert (No. 17 to Toronto), JaVale McGee (No. 18 to Washington), Ryan Anderson (No. 21 to New Jersey, also went to Cal), Serge Ibaka (No. 24 to Seattle), DeAndre Jordan (No. 35 to L.A. Clippers), and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (No. 37 to Milwaukee).The second guess: Don Nelson, theWarriors coach at the time, talked up Randolph way more than he should haveafter the 2008 draft. Yes, Randolph had length and an interesting skill set,but he was very young and very raw.Now that a fair amount of time has passed, its fair to saythat Randolphs career has been a disappointment. Hes played for three teamsand has failed to get consistent playing time with any of them.The Warriors wound up trading Randolph in the David Leesign-and-trade. But who knows? If the Warriors take Hibbert in that draft,maybe they never go after Lee in the first place.The player who may resonate the most with Warriors fans is DeAndre Jordan. The Warriors amnestied Charlie Bell last offseason to create cap space in hopes to ink the Clippers center. Jordan signed a four-year, 43 million dollar to join the Warriors, but the Clippers matched the offer, keeping him in a Clippers uniform.
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