Golden State: Let the Offseason Begin

With the 14th pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors select Anthony Randolph from LSU.

Wait a minute, we have heard this before. The Warriors drafting a long, lanky big man who has loads of potential, a guy named Brandan Wright.

Being in the lottery for the 14th time in 15 seasons kind of gets boring, and may seem repetitive. Well that’s exactly how the Warriors' draft turned out. They drafted a Brandan Wright play-a-like. They have similarities in many aspects, like wingspan, weight, height, and even more.

Why did you draft a duplicate of Wright, Chris Mullin?

"He's long, athletic, he's ready to play and has star quality," Mullin said. "We were sitting there kind of amazed he was still there."

Well there you have it folks, Mullin has said it once again: "star quality." He said this about Wright as well, and it seems that he had the same inattentions in this pick.

With the 49th pick in the 2008 draft, the Golden State Warriors select Richard Hendrix from Alabama.

A powerhouse power forward who crashes boards and is willing to risk his body. Some compare him to Utah’s Paul Millsap.

He was supposed to be a lottery pick a few years back, but he took a major fall and was just projected in the second round.

"For a second-rounder, we've got him penciled in to make the team," Nelson said. "That doesn't happen very often."

Chris Mullin is also known for stealing second-round prospects like Gilbert Arenas and Monta Ellis, so maybe Hendrix could be a good solid rotation player for Golden State.

The Warriors did well in the draft and many experts gave them a high grade for their picks, but more occurred in this offseason for the Bay Area team, as Baron Davis opted out of his contract.

The leader of the squad opted out of his contract on June 30th, making him a free agent. Sources say he was not happy with the decision of coach Don Nelson wanting to play some of the younger players on the team, even if it costs the Warriors some games. Davis was obviously frustrated, causing him to walk away from potentially $17 million or more from his contract.

Quickly after, Mullin talked on the phone trying to negotiate a contract with former Warrior Gilbert Arenas and offered the max contract. Arenas will most likely sign with the Wizards though, pairing up with friend and teammate Antawn Jamison.

Thus far, this offseason has been a roller coaster ride for the Warriors. Without Baron, and possibly having players like Mikael Pietrus, Kelenna Azubuike, and Matt Barnes leaving, the Warriors are in a tough spot right now. Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson will have to carry the load for Golden State, unless the Warriors sign someone that could replace Baron.

Anything is possible in the NBA right now, and the Warriors could definitely use some help.