After months of waiting, the Golden State Warriors will make their first step into a crucial draft season this week. On Thursday at the NBA Draft Lottery, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr will find out when they’ll be on the clock on draft day.
For the first time since 2002, the Warriors will have the opportunity to make a selection in the top-five. Despite their potential high draft pick, the Warriors are in a unique position for a team making an early selection.
Instead of rebuilding, Golden State’s core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will likely compete for a deep run into the Western Conference Playoffs next season. While Curry, Thompson and Green will have an impact on whoever the Warriors land in the draft, they’re not trying to sway Myers’ looming decision.
In a pre-lottery conference call with reporters, the Warriors general manager said he’s not getting pressure from Golden State’s All-Star trio to add a proven player with their draft pick.
Those guys are great — they want to win; we want to win. I don’t feel any pressure from any of them to do a certain thing. I know it’s been written that we need to win now and they need to get a proven player. They’ve not said that to me. Maybe they would at some point, I have no idea. But I think they know, and if they obviously want to talk about it, they can call me or I’ll call them and get their thoughts. I’ve already kind of joked with them and asked them what they like in certain players.
Listen to Myers’ full conference call via Warriors SoundCloud.
Although there’s currently no pressure, adding a player that complements Curry, Thompson and Green will play a factor in Golden State’s climb back to the playoffs. With a top-five pick on deck, Myers will have the opportunity to identify a prospect that can contribute as a rookie while developing around Golden State’s established veterans.
[lawrence-related id=30509]
As Curry, Thompson and Green enter a new stage in their careers, the Warriors draft pick could help extend the Warriors’ window for a postseason run.
After Myers and Kerr find out where they sit on the board during the lottery on Thursday, the Warriors will have a better outlook on how they can gameplan for draft day.
[lawrence-related id=27791,26576,25658,25400]
[vertical-gallery id=30574]