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The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery took place yesterday and the ping pong balls gave the Golden State Warriors the 7th and 14th pick in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft. They now have the opportunity to upgrade their roster by drastic proportions.
Given their core three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, they can get the pieces they need to compete for another championship.
The Warriors GM Bob Myers has been in this situation before. Back in 2012, he was under pressure to make the right choices to complement the backcourt of Curry and Thompson.
It safe to say the Golden State Warriors front office is capable of making the right decision. This will be the 10th draft that Bob Myers enters as a GM and owner Joe Lacob has also seen his fair share of the drafting process.
What can the Golden State Warriors do with the picks?
The Golden State Warriors' core three of Curry, Thompson and Green are all above 31 years old. They have a small championship window and they must maximize the prime years of their star players as long as they can.
The Warriors now have four options ahead of them as the 2021 NBA Draft comes closer. The picks, as of right now, don't amount to anything useful and will hold more value as we move closer to the draft.
GM Bob Myers held a press conference after the lottery and said:
"We're going to find out what they are worth. Because right now, they are just numbers. We'll see how valuable they are to us or anybody else"
The Golden State Warriors have two picks, one in the top 10 and the other in the top 15. They can draft with one and trade the other for a decent role player. Bob Myers can also package both picks to acquire a star and not bother with the scouting and draft process at all.
Also, if the Golden State Warriors decide to draft, then they can either package both picks to move up in the draft to the top 3/5 or they can simply draft using their existing picks.
This variety of options gives the Golden State Warriors front office some breathing room. GM Bob Myers spoke about his situation, saying:
"The hardest thing about this job is you have this chance and you want to make sure you make the most of it. I like our group. I don't do this by myself. I love who I work with, and I love our process, and Joe is part of that for me. I love his input. I love the fact he's got a draft board. I like that engagement level. So I'm looking forward to it."
The most common understanding is that the Golden State Warriors cannot afford to waste years of their stars' prime and get inexperienced rookies who will slow down the championship process. The timeline of the rookies' development and the timeline of Curry, Green and Thompson simply does not match.
The Golden State Warriors drafted James Wiseman in the 2020 NBA Draft as the second overall pick and although he is a talented young player, the team faced criticism.
James Wiseman will take at least a year or two more to fully develop into an All-Star caliber player capable of contributing to a championship run. That scenario will have a 37-year-old Steph Curry, and 35-year-olds Thompson and Green. Now to double-down and draft two more rookies would be a blunder.
GM Bob Myers, in his press conference, said the most reassuring words for all Dub Nation fans that he isn't going to leverage the present and develop players at the risk of losing. In Myers' own words, if it costs them games, then drafting and developing players is off the table.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Golden State Warriors should be confident about their future going into the offseason
Who can the Golden State Warriors pick if they ultimately do decide to draft?
Although the front office is clear that they are focused on championships and developing young players, the Golden State Warriors have been known to make surprising decisions.
Everyone presumed that they'd do the same in the 2020 NBA Draft and acquire a veteran, but instead they drafted Wiseman to fulfill their need for size. For what it's worth, the Golden State Warriors front office is one of the best in the business when it comes to recognizing talent and drafting.
The Warriors' core for their championship runs all came from a four-year drafting process when they got the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green.
The Warriors have also made the right decisions with their assets, such as trading Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut or acquiring Andre Iguodala.
As mentioned earlier, GM Bob Myers loves the team he works with and the people in the organization that aid him in doing his job right. Owner Joe Lacob contributes and the coaching staff along with the players are all involved in the process.
He spoke about his team ahead of the draft, saying:
"Having two swings at it in what we think is a really, really good draft is important for many reasons. I do this: I can find 14 players. I think our group can, that we like. So I think if we can find 14, we can find (No. 7)."
The Golden State Warriors certainly do have an eye for talent. If they do decide to draft, they will most likely draft with the 7th overall pick and then use the 14th pick in a trade package.
The San Antonio Spurs, back in the days of Tim Duncan, acquired new players such as Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, and that worked out brilliantly with the core of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker.
As long as the Warriors find the perfect one, they can try drafting. The last time the Golden State Warriors had the 7th pick, they drafted Harrison Barnes in 2012, Stephen Curry in 2009 and Chris Mullin in 1985.
Now, who is expected to fall in the 7th and 14th picks? The Ringer's mock draft has guard Davion Mitchell of Baylor going 7th and wing Chris Duarte of Oregon going 14th.
ESPN's mock draft also has Davion Mitchell going 7th but projects guard James Bouknight of Connecticut to be picked at 14th.
As mentioned earlier, having two picks also gives the Golden State Warriors leverage to package both picks and move up in the draft to potentially the top 5 or the top 3. The consensus top 5 in the 2021 NBA Draft are Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Evan Mobley and Jonathan Kuminga.
The 2021 NBA Draft is scheduled for Jule 29th and as we move closer to it, the picture will start to get clearer for the Golden State Warriors.
Also Read: NBA Draft Combine 2021: Top 10 prospects expected to participate this year
