RealGM

Made this thread in the General Board but I feel like it’ll be more fun to speculate here since it’s about the Dubs.

1995: Joe Smith over Kevin Garnett
1996: Todd Fuller over Kobe Bryant
1997: Adonal Foyle over Tracy McGrady

The crazy thing is it’s actually realistic to still have the same range of lottery picks even if we draft KG and Kobe because they were too young to really make an impact to win right away and make the Playoffs.

And if you really think they’d be too young and have a top 5 pick in 1998, they could get Dirk Nowitzki, too.

Anyways, how amazing do you guys think a trio of KG/Kobe/TMac would be?

Sprewell was still around for about 2 years and Mully was aging a bit so Kobe and TMac would take about 2-3 years to develop before they take over.

A trio of Nash, T-Mac and KG would be crazy as well.

KG and Kobe, or KG and Tmac would have been nuts on paper, but all 3 would not have worked as Tmac and Kobe would have wanted the limelight. Tmac would have left after his rookie deal, and I'm certain either 1 or both of Kobe and KG would have asked for a trade under the Chris Cohan led Warriors team. The management and culture was inept.

It's highly likely that Jerry West fleeced us anyway for Kobe, trading us Anthony Peeler and a protected 1999 2nd for Kobe.

Ah, happy thoughts.

It all worked out in the end.

Coxy wrote:KG and Kobe, or KG and Tmac would have been nuts on paper, but all 3 would not have worked as Tmac and Kobe would have wanted the limelight. Tmac would have left after his rookie deal, and I'm certain either 1 or both of Kobe and KG would have asked for a trade under the Chris Cohan led Warriors team. The management and culture was inept.

It's highly likely that Jerry West fleeced us anyway for Kobe, trading us Anthony Peeler and a protected 1999 2nd for Kobe.

Ah, happy thoughts.

Yeah I think non-Warriors fans have a recency bias and forget how incompetent the Warriors FO was before they landed guys like Steph/Klay/Draymond/Iggy/KD etc. A lot of them said KG/Kobe/TMac would have multiple championships, but us Warriors fans know how haphazard the team was run back then lol.

If it was destiny for Kobe to be in LA, I really wonder how a trio of Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett would be instead. I think T-Mac would be content with being the main swingman for the future as Mullin was getting a bit older. Steve Nash obviously wouldn't mind letting T-Mac and KG handle the scoring loads.

I know what's done is done but this suspended NBA situation is perfect time to reminisce on previous years lol.

This is before mentioning Jamison over Dirk in 1998 and pretty much all teams missing out on Ginobili in 1999 who would be the ultimate sixth man.

PG: Steve Nash
SG: Manu Ginobili
SF: Tracy McGrady
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Kevin Garnett

Trade Sprewell for draft picks before KG arrives. That would be trading Sprewell while his value was high. Sprewell got Tim Hardaway traded. I was happy with Sprewell's play but a Sprewell led team is trouble. Tim Hardaway had some good years with the Heat. Gatling also had some good years.

Gatling got into trouble post NBA. Webber, Owens, Sprewell, Alexander, and Gatling were a tight crew but they were not very coachable, had low character and Gatling was the only one of them that seemed to be improving his game.

Keep Donyell Marshal. The team will need a point guard to eventually replace Hardaway and the team needs a center. The draft picks for Sprewell might land get the Warriors a center and a point guard.

Sign Phil Jackson as a coach.

Theo Ralif, Gatling, Declerc
KG, Gatling, Donyell
Mullin, Donyell,Mcgrady
Kobe, McGrady
Tim Hardaway, Brevin Knight

Tim Duncan was better than all of them

This thread is pure masochism.

Little Digger wrote:Tim Duncan was better than all of them

it's an unpopular opinion right now, but I completely agree

azwfan wrote:It all worked out in the end.

So glad Warriors finally did it right by drafting Steph, Klay and Draymond. Even Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli made impacts.

It was around the mid 2000s when I saw an article or blog post about “MJ and Pippen 2.0” referring to the Warriors missing out on Kobe and T-Mac. But you look the year before and KG was right there, too. Lol.

Bill Simmons has been doing redraft podcasts on his “Book of Basketball 2.0” podcast recently. He started with the 1996 draft and is currently on the 2001 draft. Pretty fun looking back on all the players and seeing where they went and should have went.

I’m sure the 2009 draft will be an interesting one to revisit.

Related but different,
What if the Warriors traded Mitch Richmond for the draft pick that became Billy Owens instead of trading for Billy Owens. Then the Warriors use that draft pick to draft Dikembe. Then I need Hardaway, Surunas and Mullin to not get injured.

I need Nellie to treat his players a little more respectfully. It wasn't 1968 and Nellie isn't Red Aerbach and the young men did not take kindly to being yelled at. Then resign Ellie and Askew.

Still draft Gatling, Alexander and Sprewell.

The Bulls would still be in the Warriors way but that team would have been great.

hardaway
sprewell
mullin
webber
mutombo