Ranking the Golden State Warriors' Biggest Needs in the 2015 NBA Draft
The Golden State Warriors may be in hot pursuit of an NBA championship, but that doesn't mean it's too soon for management to sit down and refine its list of needs heading into June’s draft.
While most lottery-bound teams will likely take the best-player-available approach, the clubs that qualified for the postseason will be looking for the missing piece that can take them a step closer to realizing their championship dreams.
All 30 general managers responsible for constructing competitive rosters have a tremendous amount of pressure on them this time of year. But it’s Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers who has arguably the most unenviable task of them all: improving a team that just won 67 games during the 2014-15 regular season.
Fortunately, the Warriors don’t have many glaring holes in their current roster, and of the ones they do have, all of them can be addressed with the No. 30 overall pick.
Adding a third center or rim protector should be chief among Golden State’s priorities. Although relatively healthy this year, Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli have missed a combined 148 games between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. Granted, the number is inflated by Ezeli missing the entirety of 2013-14 after undergoing knee surgery.
Still, the Dubs could use a bit more stability at the center position moving forward, especially since the effectiveness of the team’s defense relies so heavily on having a massive deterrent in the middle of the lane.
Kentucky’s Dakari Johnson (6’11”, 265 lbs) and former Washington center Robert Upshaw (7’0”, 258 lbs) are both solid candidates to take care of this particular need, as each provides the type of rim protection Golden State could be in the market for. Despite Johnson’s raw skill set and Upshaw’s troubled past, the two of them seem to be risks that the Warriors can afford to take.
Myers could also approach this draft with the intention to shore up the team’s depth at the power forward position, as both Marreese Speights and David Lee have proven to be shaky replacements for Draymond Green in the past.
ESPN Insider Chad Ford believes LSU’s Jarell Martin could be the answer:
"The Warriors have an embarrassing wealth of riches right now. I’m not sure they need anything. But I like the Martin fit here. I’ve always been intrigued by his potential. He’s athletic and versatile. He’s just never found a great fit. But I could see him becoming a weapon off the bench in Golden State behind Draymond Green, once David Lee’s contract expires in another year. I think there’s a lot more to Martin’s game than what we saw at LSU.
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At 6’9.25” and 239 pounds, Martin is a bit undersized for the power forward position. There’s no denying the ability here, though.
Martin averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during his sophomore season at LSU—raising his field-goal percentage from 47.9 percent his freshman year to 50.9 percent in the process. He even showed some promise from beyond the arc, where he shot 30.8 percent for his brief college career. A conversion rate such as that one might not scream “sharpshooter” at scouts, but it’s definitely workable.
If worst comes to worst, though, the Warriors could abandon their frontcourt needs altogether and target a shooting guard, preferably one who brings a respectable amount of perimeter defense to the table.
Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson could be that guy for Golden State. Hollis-Jefferson isn't going to light up the scoreboard, but with the amount of firepower the Dubs already have in tow, he won't need to. It's his defensive tools that make him valuable late in Round 1.
"At 6'7" with long arms and lightning-quick feet, Hollis-Jefferson has the tools to lock down ball-handlers, 2-guards and wings," writes Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.
His offensive game is something that can always be worked on as he develops at the NBA level. But his defensive instincts are those you simply cannot teach.
Measurables are from the 2015 NBA Draft Combine, courtesy of DraftExpress.com. All stats are from Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
Tim MacLean is a Featured Columnist for the Golden State Warriors. Follow him on Twitter.
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