Debriefing with The City

Don't sleep on our man Dave Isaac's Draft Debriefing over at MVN- The City.

I think when you look at the Warriors’ draft, you have to look at it from two different angles. This draft is probably the most loaded since 1996, when superstars, role players, and end of the rotation guys were taken from top of the draft all the way to the bottom. The Warriors attempted to play it safe this year, picking a guy who fit for a need, and was one of the top 20 guys in the draft – maybe not the ninth best. When Andrew Bynum, Gerald Green, and Danny Granger are on the board, you’re looking at guys with a lot of upside. The Warriors picked a big man who had a lot of success in college over a potential superstar in the making in 1998, too. Now, Adonal Foyle is earning $8 million for blocking shots and playing 20 minutes a game, while Tracy McGrady is a superstar with the Houston Rockets. The Warriors were in a position where they could try to upgrade at the 4/5 spot through free agency (thanks to minority owners with fat wallets – as pointed out by Fitzgerald). Now, don’t get me wrong, Monta Ellis is a good pick at #40. A combo guard, he can score in any number of ways, is quick, and can be a very special player in the future. As the first high school player taken by the Warriors, however, he is undersized at 6′3″, 175 lbs. Ellis may be with his second team before he becomes a starting guard. All I have to say about Chris Taft is this: you’ve got a mid-second round pick, and a guy who averaged 13.3 and 7.5 a game is still on the board. His knock is motivation, but he’s got the skills. This is what the second round is for: taking a chance. Who knows – there’s a good chance that the Warriors could end up playing Taft over Diogu down the road.

All in all, the Warriors had a fair draft. Then again, the Raptors were the only team that had draft picks that made you shake your head. Now the Raps have Jalen Rose, Joey Graham, Charlie Villanueva, and Chris Bosh competing for two spots. So who did the best?