Despite draft season winding down, there’s still little clarity on which direction the Golden State Warriors will go with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft.
With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins in place, the Warriors are in the position to win now. If the Warriors want to compete at the top of the Western Conference as soon as next season, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could eye a player that can make an impact in year one. However, the Warriors will have the option to add a prospect with potential that Kerr can develop for the future.
There’s also the chance the Warriors opt to move the pick for a later selection or a proven veteran.
Before the Warriors make their highly anticipated pick, Warriors Wire is rewinding through Golden State’s draft history to highlight some of the most memorable selections — trades, surprises, busts, sleepers and everything in between.
June 28, 2005
The Milwaukee Bucks opened the 2005 NBA Draft by selecting future Golden State center Andrew Bogut with the first overall selection. Fast forward eight picks later and the Warriors were on the clock.
After finishing the 2004-05 season with a 34-49 record, Chris Mullin and Mike Montgomery landed Ike Diogu out of Arizona State with the No. 9 pick.
On his way to earning a bid to the All-American Second-Team, Diogu averaged 22.8 points on 57.5% shooting from the field with 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 assists per contest. Following his junior year at Arizona State, Diogu was named Pac-10 Player of the Year.
In his first season in the Bay Area, the 22-year-old tallied 7.0 points on 53.4% from the field with 3.3 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 14.9 minutes per game.
Watch highlights from Diogu’s rookie season via YouTube:
Despite a steady first impression, Diogu’s time in Golden State didn’t last long. The Warriors included Diogu in a seven-player trade with the Indiana Pacers headlined by Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington.
Following his stint in Indiana, Diguo continued to bounce around the association for the rest of his career. During his six seasons in the NBA, Diogu averaged 6.0 points on 50.9% shooting from the field with 3.1 rebounds per game.
After his time in the NBA came to a close in 2012, Diogu impressed in the D-League. In 2014, the former Golden State first-rounder was named D-League impact Player of the Year.
Other notable members from the 2005 NBA Draft class included Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger, Jarrett Jack and David Lee. Current Warriors broadcasting analyst Kelenna Azubuike is a member of the 2005 class as an undrafted free agent.
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