NBA Draft 2012: Harrison Barnes Selected by Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors selected Harrison Barnes with the seventh pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, after rumors circulated that the Warriors would trade the pick for an already established player.

Barnes, out of North Carolina, was at one point the front-runner for the No. 1 pick overall. He fills the void at small forward that the Warriors were desperately lacking. Barnes makes the Warriors even more dangerous with his ability to shoot from midrange.

His game will compliment Stephen Curry very well, as both can light up the scoreboard. 

The biggest criticism is that Barnes isn't well versed in driving to the basket because of a slower first step. With Curry getting to the basket at will, Barnes will have plenty of opportunities for open jumpers.

The Warriors flirted with the idea of trading for a more established small forward in Rudy Guy, Andre Iguodala or Luol Deng, but ultimately choose the raw, younger Barnes. The pick is likely the smarter, more level-headed decision, rather than giving up a ton to get one of those players.

The Warriors are finally taking steps forward in the right direction by building a core of nice young players to be coached up by Marc Jackson. If Jackson is given the time to develop this core, the Warriors could be a contender right around the time they are planned to move into their new arena in San Francisco.

The Warriors have another first round pick (30th Overall) and two second round picks (5th pick and 22nd in the round).