Kurtenbach: Warriors GM Bob Myers asked me who his crew should draft. I’ll tell you what I told him
Warriors standard manager Bob Myers had his bare ft on the famed parquet floor of the TD Garden in Boston.
Champions can do this kind of a point.
I spotted Myers from across the courtroom, pursuing the Warriors’ Recreation 6 win in the 2022 NBA Finals, their fourth championship acquire in 8 many years. I had to make a remark on his giddy-up. He was wearing a t-shirt and functioning shorts, and yet again, no footwear. Sitting on the Warriors’ bench, conversing to a different reporter, he was keeping a golden chalice and a champagne bottle that was filled with Michelob Extremely.
And nevertheless, in that second of ultimate fulfillment, his brain went in other places:
The NBA Draft.
It was less than a 7 days absent.
The Warriors have a ton of observe at drafting amid the celebration of profitable a title. All through the peak dynastic several years, they when held a draft training the early morning of their parade in Oakland. (It’s possible that is why they drafted Jacob Evans…)
And Myers could not assist but laugh at the circumstance. This was a champagne trouble — or potentially a Michelob Extremely issue — but a difficulty yet. Other groups have been concentrating on the draft for weeks, if not months. There are a great deal of individuals doing work on the draft for the Warriors calendar year-round, but the Dubs would only have a couple of days the place the full entrance business office and coaching staff’s heads would be set together on the similar issue.
And let us be true, some of those people heads would be nursing hangovers.
So Myers put it to me, right there on the ground in Boston: “Who would you draft?”
Bob, I imagined you’d under no circumstances talk to.
I have been participating in fantasy GM for decades. This was my second.
So I told the Warriors’ final decision-maker (and assistant typical supervisor Kirk Lacob, who was standing up coming to me) what I’ll notify you now:
“Take the child out of Wake Forest, Jake LaRavia.”
There have been some seriously tough drafts over the previous few years, but I really like this a single. I assume some major talent — possibly lottery expertise — can drop to the Warriors at pick No. 28.
I enjoy Dalen Terry out of Arizona. He may well be my favorite participant in the draft. But I can not fathom how he’d be on the board for the Dubs at No. 28.
I think young Serbian Nikola Jokić could be an ideal decide for the Warriors — Golden State could stash him in Europe, but he has as substantial a ceiling as any participant in this draft. But, yet again, it’d be absurd for him to be all-around at No. 28.
LaRavia may not be there at No. 28, but he feels like a extra probable possibility for the Warriors.
And what an alternative he is.
There are two types of players offered at the base of the initially round. Substantial-floor players or significant-ceiling fellas. Given the station, groups are receiving one particular or the other.
LaRavia is the greatest substantial-flooring guy.
He’ll probably never ever be more than a role participant, but what staff just can’t use a lot more excellent role players?
And this younger gentleman (20 a long time aged) was built to be a Warrior.
It normally takes only a couple of minutes of looking at LaRavia’s highlights to know that he would prosper in Golden State’s program. Watching complete, precise basketball game titles (a novel principle these days, I know), it’s even far more clear that LaRavia was tailor-created for Steve Kerr’s motion offense.
There is only no greater cutter in this draft.
He may well be the ideal location-up shooter who won’t go in the lottery, much too.
There’s also a craftiness — inside of the technique, of course — that can’t be taught, but can be maximized in San Francisco.
It’s obvious that he has an enviable basketball IQ — observing the total flooring, understanding where by all 9 other gamers, are — and that manifests in his staff defense as nicely.
This person was developed to be a Dub.
The knock on LaRavia? He’s not the most athletic dude. He can square up on defense, but swift players are heading to give him difficulty on the perimeter. He’s not somebody who is heading to make his have shot off the bounce.
In other words and phrases, he’s not a substantial-ceiling male.
But the Warriors, again, only require that large flooring.
Remember: Golden Point out will be having to pay not just their draft pick’s rookie income, but also the luxury tax that will come together with that contract. In all, it’d be a good deal to shell out for somebody who can not help the Warriors repeat as champions.
Money is a genuine concern below. It is why a draft-and-stash choice is very substantially on the table at No. 28.
But the Warriors have also shown, time and time again, that they’ll fork out for good quality.
“I really don’t consider the dollars is going to be a issue as much as no matter if we trade out or hold the choose,” Myers explained at his conclude-of-period presser Wednesday. “It’ll be if it makes feeling, so it will not definitely be a dollars conclusion.”
And LaRavia, 20, helps make all the sense in the entire world for the Warriors.
They have a backup point guard in Jordan Poole, who requirements the ball in his fingers if Steph Curry isn’t on the flooring. They’ll have James Wiseman in the heart rotation for up coming season, as well, ideally together with Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga. If the Warriors feel a have to have to insert at either posture, they can convey in a player on a veteran minimum — there are often very good facilities and level guards available on the affordable in totally free company.
But wings? The only way to get gamers like that is to pay out up or bet huge, as the Warriors did with Otto Porter previous year (a few game titles for Orlando in 2021) or like any staff does with a late to start with-spherical draft choose.
I like the odds on LaRavia.
I can see him and Moses Moody keeping down the second unit wing places next season, participating in off a Poole and Wiseman or Poole and Kuminga choose-and-roll — sliding in for minutes upcoming to Curry and making use of all that gravity to make incisive cuts and open up 3-pointers.
It could be a issue of natural beauty.
Of program, there are other players that are much more than worthy of pick No. 28. There is no 1 right selection.
But the person in demand asked me a issue, and I answered. I don’t care if he was joking about it or not. I’m a dork who has been observing NBA Draft prospective buyers, on the typical, due to the fact early March. I just take this very seriously. So take it from me:
LaRavia is the guy for the Dubs.
