DRAFT THREAD part II: Come Together.... Right Now....

[turk3d]

Nice video (not a highlight reel from a Jazz scout, so you get to see his flaws, lol) on Thompson. Very well done and pretty informative.

http://1320kfan.com/index.php/story/rea ... ing_report

Another KT highlight video (don't know if this has already been posted):

http://spreadia.com/Klay_thompson/18895 ... Highlights
Pretty impressed with his ability to get to the basket in this one. Also, appears to have a midrange as well which surprised me a bit. Can shoot with either hand. A thin frame but should be able to put on some muscle as he physically matures.

Really can't see how a competent FO could have passed on this guy.

[EvanZ]

Really can't see how a competent FO could have passed on this guy.

that thing called defense that most Warriors fans are unfamilar with

[turk3d]

You mean that same thing that advanced stats has trouble accounting for?

[Twinkie defense]

I want to see Klay get those long arms into the passing lanes...

[and1GS]

Really can't see how a competent FO could have passed on this guy.

that thing called defense that most Warriors fans are unfamilar with

I hope you're not suggesting that Klay was not worth a higher pick, because he certainly was. Does he play D? Nope. But he's huge and a rare shooting talent. I would have taken him over Tristan, Jonas, Jan, Knight, Kemba, and maybe Fredette (for us definitely over Fredette). Probably over Biyombo as well.

The Knight pick was especially head scratching. The Pistons didn't go BPA or need there. They now have a backcourt full of Rodney Stuckeys, 1s that wish they were 2s. Tristan was also an odd pick, was never enamored with him at Texas.

[old rem]

I think that Memphis has some pretty good defenders as well and they were a more complete team when the picked up Allen than we are currently (and of course Allen is a Celtic veteran, not a rook as these guys we are discussing here). Allen was a perfect fit there as well. Plus you have a strong post present in 3 guys who all play D (Zach, Gasol and the emergence of Darrell Arthur). Not to mention their acquisition of Shane Battier, one of the best defenders in the game for many years.

Plus, not to be left out is Lionel Hollins who turned this team into what was pretty weak defensively a solid defensive team which is one of the reasons that they made it so far this past season. Even Mayo turned into a solid defender for them but I don't think you can attribute it all to Tony Allen nor was it any rookies who were the one that made the difference for him.

You use the draft to acquire the best talent (imo) and then you got out and try and acquire some veteran FAs to improve your D/ That should be obtainable imo. They also have Gay possibly returning to them who in his own right is a pretty solid defender. A culture change comes via the FO and the coaching staff, more than the players.

Change that, and then you go out and get the players who'll fit that mold but you have to change the overall philosophy first which I believe is a work in progress.

Hollins was the real key. Previously M Gasol...average, Gay...average< Zach...sucky. Allen was a decent defender...not super. Battier used to be super, now, his big + is he KNOWS HOW even if he's lost a step. Since he can't score much, he has to REALLY lockdown to just break even.

[Coxy]

He looks like a taller version of Curry. I'm not overly impressed with this kid from those 2 vids.

Passing on CS will haunt us in my opinion.

[floppymoose]

I had convinced myself that one of Jonas, Bismack, or Tristan would fall to us, and then was disappointed when they didn't.

[Quazza]

I was stoked when Leonard fell to us


and yet here we are

[FNQ]

Passing on CS will haunt us in my opinion.

In a couple years we won't even remember about DeShawn Singleton... book it

[turk3d]

Poole: May have been a Warriors Miller draft

http://www.mercurynews.com/monte-poole/ ... ck_check=1

[EvanZ]

Really can't see how a competent FO could have passed on this guy.

that thing called defense that most Warriors fans are unfamilar with

I hope you're not suggesting that Klay was not worth a higher pick, because he certainly was. Does he play D? Nope.

The fact that you acknowledge he doesn't play defense but still think he was the right pick is slightly disturbing, but not unexpected from most Warriors fans. Big O and little d in Oakland, after all.

[Mylie10]

I don't expect Singleton to haunt us Coxy, but it would have been nice to see them put the focus on a defensive guy.

[and1GS]

The fact that you acknowledge he doesn't play defense but still think he was the right pick is slightly disturbing, but not unexpected from most Warriors fans. Big O and little d in Oakland, after all.

Reggie Miller didn't play D and he's one of the best players in NBA history.

a) We weren't drafting for a superstar franchise cornerstone.
b) There are other parts to basketball than defense.

We needed a bench (a bench that can score for that matter) and Klay does that for us. If we were deciding on franchise players I'd be upset, be we weren't. It was a crap draft and the choice was either low ceiling defense (Singleton) or slightly higher yet still low ceiling offense (Klay). I like the pick because we get bigger and improve our crap bench.

[MightyReds2020]

The fact that you acknowledge he doesn't play defense but still think he was the right pick is slightly disturbing, but not unexpected from most Warriors fans. Big O and little d in Oakland, after all.

Reggie Miller didn't play D and he's one of the best players in NBA history.

a) We weren't drafting for a superstar franchise cornerstone.
b) There are other parts to basketball than defense.

We needed a bench (a bench that can score for that matter) and Klay does that for us. If we were deciding on franchise players I'd be upset, be we weren't. It was a crap draft and the choice was either low ceiling defense (Singleton) or slightly higher yet still low ceiling offense (Klay). I like the pick because we get bigger and improve our crap bench.

Or you can draft a player who can help prevent the other team's bench from scoring. See, that's the mindset I'm talking about in this thread, one that many of us still need to get accustom to, including the entire Warriors organization. Just look at the Bulls' bench, and technically it's a lot easier to build a defensive bench unit than an offensive one, because good defenders come cheaper than good scorers.

[FNQ]

Just look at the Bulls' bench, and technically it's a lot easier to build a defensive bench unit than an offensive one, because good defenders come cheaper than good scorers.

Then wouldn't it make sense to get good scorers first? Make no mistake, we still do need scorers since we don't have a true #1 option. Right now we have inefficient volume scorers, and thats not the same thing.

Drafting a guy like Singleton, especially 1st round, doesnt make sense to me. You don't want to guarantee defenders money, thats why I tend to see 2nd round pick rookies putting in a ton more effort than mid-late 1st defenders. Plus, what is this guy's upside? DeShawn Stevenson? He's no scorer. Just another long defender.. Quinton Ross was that too.

Anyways, I think who they selected is nitpicking since we did separate ourselves from previous management in buying a 260 lb C.

[EvanZ]

b) There are other parts to basketball than defense.

Yeah, but there aren't *only* other parts to basketball than defense. There's actually defense, too.

[EvanZ]

We needed a bench (a bench that can score for that matter) and Klay does that for us. If we were deciding on franchise players I'd be upset, be we weren't. It was a crap draft and the choice was either low ceiling defense (Singleton) or slightly higher yet still low ceiling offense (Klay). I like the pick because we get bigger and improve our crap bench.

Again, Klay doesn't do anything that Reggie Williams doesn't also do. And our other choice was Kawhi Leonard, who has a higher ceiling than both these guys, as far as I'm concerned. The Spurs know what they're doing, anyway.

[EvanZ]

Then wouldn't it make sense to get good scorers first? Make no mistake, we still do need scorers since we don't have a true #1 option. Right now we have inefficient volume scorers, and thats not the same thing.

We don't have inefficient volume scorers. We have exactly one inefficient volume scorer (Ellis). Curry and Williams are very efficient scorers. Dorell and Lee are not that efficient (Lee has been previously), but they are also not volume scorers.

[FNQ]

Without one of those guys being a #1 while remaining efficient, we'll need all the help we can get. Reggie Williams cant stay on the court very long, and it remains to be seen if Curry can be the #1 AND the PG.

Defenders can be had for sub-MLE prices.. I'll take a guy who can put up efficient shooting #s and is a smart player any day over a Singleton or a very average Kawhi.