What a difference one spot in the draft makes

[EvanZ]

It’s funny how everyone ever linked to GS is performing well in the playoffs from OG to Siakam to KAT.

[GunnerWRX]

Even if Warriors had won the 1st pick, they were still taking Wiseman over Edwards. In fact, I just read several quotes from Lacob stating Wiseman was their number 1 guy regardless. THAT'S how inept this FO is. Kerr didn't like Edwards and questioned his work ethic. Heck, remember Kerr coaching Edwards in the World Cup last summer and his initial plan was for him to come off the bench. Also, they didn't like Ball because they didn't want to deal with his father's antics. So, it was Wiseman all day, all the time.

But...

As I watch Edwards show athleticism and basketball gifts that remind one of Michael Jordan, I can't help but imagine him next to Curry. OMG. What a show that would have been.

On the surface, it appeared so close to happening; in reality, the Warriors FO had zero interest in making it happen.

I don't think any of this is true. Pretty sure I read multiple reports that Edwards was their #1 guy. I'm also pretty sure I heard Larry Harris actually say it in an interview. And the "didn't want to deal with his father" thing was nothing more than a random twitter take.

It's brutal that we missed out on Ant but it's not that big of deal we missed out on Lamelo. He never plays. Wiseman just busted and we got rid of him, problem solved. Lamelo showed talent and is now fleecing them for 260 mill.

Same how I remembered. They preferred Edwards but also liked Wiseman. Picking #2 made it easy for them (or straight to the demise of Wiseman).

As much as I am disappointed in Wiseman being a bust, I really don't see if we got Ant instead of Wiseman, with Wiggins on the team, and we still won in 2022 while having Ant on our team looking like the Ant on TV now.

A ring is a ring and I would rather be on this timeline where we won the 2022 but looking at this POS group right now.

[thunderdunk]

I didn't see how Wiseman fit with the Dubs style of play, but I wanted them to draft him back then because the whole draft looked like a crapshoot, and he was seen as a potential grand slam, unicorn kind of guy. Could he be a lob threat, a shot blocker, and a spot up shooter like KD? As discussed back then, SV VC's often swing for the fences, and just treat the bad ones as a cost of doing business. (Hali was never forecasted as a #2, even though several people on this board liked him.) Sadly, unlike on Sand Hill Rd, you only get a shot at a top 2 draft pick once every almost never, and this was a big swing and miss. That said, they weren't planning on drafting Ant anyway, the rest of the draft didn't have a consensus #2 in it, and Ball ended up being an albatross due to injuries. Sadly, Wiseman ended up being nothing more than a great pre-draft story. He had no dog, and if he did, it wouldn't hunt. This year's draft class looks like another collection of long shots. Definitely another bad year to get a top 5 pick.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

2003
leBron 1, Darko 2
But the guy who should have been taken 2nd Dwayne Wade was taken at 5.

[SpreeChokeJob]

It wouldn’t have mattered who the Warriors picked because these players wouldn’t have reached their full potential here. Kerr was playing Lamb and Jerome over Moody and JK! There are players Kerr favors, those under 6’ 6” and can shoot the three. It’s a hopeless situation because Kerr can only ride with what he knows. The only way to salvage the situation was to hire front office people who knew what they were doing. Instead they hire MDJ who is new and inexperienced. It isn’t about hiring players, they have to rebuild the front office first. Can’t replace experience at the executive level, there isn’t enough time to learn through error before they are kicked out for the next guy.

[thunderdunk]

It wouldn’t have mattered who the Warriors picked because these players wouldn’t have reached their full potential here. Kerr was playing Lamb and Jerome over Moody and JK! There are players Kerr favors, those under 6’ 6” and can shoot the three. It’s a hopeless situation because Kerr can only ride with what he knows. The only way to salvage the situation was to hire front office people who knew what they were doing. Instead they hire MDJ who is new and inexperienced. It isn’t about hiring players, they have to rebuild the front office first. Can’t replace experience at the executive level, there isn’t enough time to learn through error before they are kicked out for the next guy.

Last year, MDJ's picks were already "light years" better than Bob's. Until then, the Dubs' picks have generally been pretty bad, albeit usually from very poor draft positions. Can't criticize MDJ's moves so far -- I think he's already done really well given what he's been given. Bob did a great job of assembling winning teams, although not through the draft. I'm still interested in seeing if MDJ can somehow pull a rabbit out of his hat with CP3.