No Impact at 9?

Neil Hayes of the Contra Costa Times writes that there will be No impact player at the No. 9 spot.

Chris Mullin isn't going to find what he needs in the Tuesday's NBA draft, and it has little to do with the Warriors' owning the ninth overall choice. Chances are Mullin wouldn't be able to find what his team needs most even if he were drafting several spots higher.

That, long-suffering Warriors fans, is called progress.

This draft has a distinctly different feel, at least from the Warriors' perspective. They don't need a savior. They already found one in Baron Davis.

They don't have to hold their collective breath, hoping that whomever they choose turns into a franchise player. They would love to acquire someone with that type of ability, no doubt, but the pressure is off. Davis illustrated as much when the new face of the franchise flashed a smile and the thumbs-up sign when the Warriors failed to move up in the draft lottery last month.

They don't need to get younger. They're young enough. They don't need a project. They have several projects on the roster already.

What the Warriors need to take the next step in the maturation process (i.e. earn a playoff berth) is to get older, wiser, more experienced and more playoff savvy. They need to get tougher, grittier. What they really need is a frontcourt player who demands a double team in the post, can put a defensive clamp-down on opposing big men, block shots and start the fast break.