NBA Draft Lottery 2012: Best Options for the Golden State Warriors at No. 7

The tortured fan base of the Golden State Warriors needs the organization to draft a player who is going to come into the league and help the team rise from the doldrums of the NBA.

While that doesn't mean that said player must make an immediate impact, there needs to be potential, and there need to be encouraging signs of that potential right away.

If the Warriors are able to secure their lottery pick and make sure that the pick stays with the team under any circumstances, they are looking at an impressive crop of players from which to choose. Their pick is top-seven protected, and the team has a 72-percent chance of landing in the top seven.

However, if they are unable to strike a deal with the Utah Jazz and their lottery pick lands outside of the top seven, Utah will have the pick in the 2012 draft.

We'll be presumptuous in this case and assume that the Warriors will in fact make the right decision and secure the No. 7 overall pick at any cost.

Here are a few players whom the Warriors could draft to revitalize their franchise.

Harrison Barnes

Barnes may not be around by the time the Warriors pick at No. 7, but you never know what's going to happen in the NBA draft. (For example: Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony or Dwyane Wade? Ok, Milicic will be better. Looking at you, Detroit Pistons, because we know that Hemofarm Vrsac is more reputable than Syracuse and Marquette.)

The standout UNC small forward has a perfect frame for his position. He's extremely strong and will only put on more muscle with age. His length gives him the potential to one day become a lockdown defender.

He won't start shutting down the great small forwards of the NBA right away, but he'll definitely be a help to this Warriors team, which had the 28th-worst defense, in terms of points per game, last year.

His method of operation is catch and shoot, but he has problems creating for himself. That's not going to be an issue with Golden State because Stephen Curry has become an extremely fluid passer since he entered the league, in 2009.

Alongside David Lee, Klay Thompson and Curry (if he can stay healthy), Barnes would flourish.

With Barnes on the roster, Golden State would have some serious shooting ability. Thompson can knock down jumpers, Brandon Rush can too and we know that Curry doesn't miss when he's hot.

They'll also have a solid core of big men, with Lee and Andrew Bogut.

Though you can never jump to any conclusions with Andrew "Bones of Glass" Bogut, people forget that he's an effective low-post guy when he's on the court (however little that may be).

Jeremy Lamb

If Barnes is gone and Lamb is still around, the Warriors would be crazy to pass up on the former Connecticut star. He's even more of a lights-out shooter than Barnes, and he put on quite the display in the NCAA tournament while playing under Jim Calhoun.

He doesn't need to be the guy in an offense to be happy and will work hard to get open. He's great at shooting off the pass and has shown that he can knock down a jumper off a screen.

His length is yet another plus from which the Warriors would benefit, as he has a 7'1" wingspan, which is incredible for a guy who is just 6'5".

He's a great rebounder for a shooting guard, too, and can jump quicker than most guys his height.

Things would have to be shaken up in the Golden State rotation if he is drafted, though.

Dorell Wright would have to be relegated to a bench role, which doesn't seem like a big deal to me because his one-dimensional game doesn't bring all that much to the team. Thompson could move over to the small forward spot; even though he isn't as bulky as you would like him to be, he has the height for the position. The Warriors definitely can't afford to send him to the bench after what he showed last season.

That would make a starting lineup of Curry at the point guard spot, Lamb as the shooting guard, Thompson at the 3, Lee at the 4 and probably Jeremy Tyler or a healthy Bogut at center.

Lee isn't a great defender, but the other four are long enough to knock down the 101.2 points allowed per game that the team let up last season.

Austin Rivers

I'm not exactly sold on this one, as Rivers has yet to make a complete commitment to defense, but he's an absolute beast on the offensive end.

If Lamb and Barnes are both gone, the Warriors need to grab Rivers, as teams have become increasingly apt to abandon the big-man strategy and go with smaller guys.

Rivers can play both shooting guard and point guard, thanks to his height, and can create his own shot with ease anywhere on the court.

The tandem of Rivers and Curry could be a stellar combination, but it also could be a marriage made for disaster.

We could see the duo create for each other and terrorize teams with their ability to score from the perimeter and near the hoop.

But we could also see an issue in regard to one of them not getting enough touches.

The Warriors are young and quick, so Rivers' athleticism would fit in well, and you just know Mark Jackson has this guy on his radar.

As I said before, Rivers doesn't always play great defense, but he'll come up with a steal if he needs to and can use his length to throw other guards off their games. It takes time for a player to learn the tendencies of his opponents and become a great defender, but Rivers is no slouch.

We've been hearing about Rivers for a long time now, and rightfully so: He's an explosive offensive talent and is very crafty in all facets of scoring.

The only issues at hand would be his on-court relationship with Curry, and whether or not the two could work well together.