Looks like the consensus is that we did pretty, pretty, pretty good last night. I've gathered together a bunch of grades from various sites. Check 'em out after the jump.
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GRADE
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ANALYSIS
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A
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Harrison Barnes was our top rated small forward and he projects better to the NBA level than college. Following the NC State win on 2/21/12, Barnes was having an All-American caliber season averaging 18 points per game on 47 percent shooting and 43 percent from behind the arc. From there on, he shot below 36 percent from the field and 22 percent from three. If he can grow out of the extended shooting funks, he can be an incredible asset for the Warriors going forward. Festus Ezeli is a massive big man who is known for being a rim protector. For him to succeed in the NBA, he will need to cut down on his fouling. Draymond Green was a very good value in the second round, and should be able to step in and battle for a backup forward position. Kuzmic is a 7-footer who was signed to a multi-year deal by Unicaja Malaga last summer, and spent last season with a lower level club in Spain. He is a long way away from the NBA, but has size.
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A
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With the No. 7 selection, the Warriors took North Carolinasmall forward Harrison Barnes, addressing a need at the position while simultaneously taking the best available player. At No. 30, the Warriors picked up Vanderbilt centerFestus Ezeli, adding depth behind Andrew Bogut, who is coming off ankle surgery. They finished with Michigan State power forward Draymond Green at No. 35 and Georgian forward Ognjen Kuzmic, who they'll keep overseas, at No. 52. That's three potential rotation players, all with great value at their spots, and a guy to watch in two or three years.
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Harrison Barnes (7): He slipped a bit and may be considered somewhat one-dimensional as a perimeter shooter, but Barnes should be more effective in the NBA due to an extended 3-point line and increased spacing. Barnes also addresses a need -- a long wing who can really make shots from deep.
Festus Ezeli (30): A solid backup big man who can physically handle himself in the NBA immediately. He won't give Golden State much offense, but he's big, strong and athletic. He can provide a quality big man off the bench.
Draymond Green (37): Fell out of the first round, but he'll make the team and find a way to get in the rotation. Doesn't necessarily look the part, but does everything fairly well and is a high-character, high-intangible guy.
Ognjen Kuzmic (52): Seven-footer who played in Spain and has good size and mobility. Who knows if/when we'll ever see him in a Warriors uniform.
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A
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Barnes should have been a top-5 pick, but Dion Waiters ruins everything. How lucky did the Warriors have to be to land Barnes? With the promise of losing their first round pick unless it landed in the top seven, they tanked just enough to tie the Raptors for the 7th worst team in the standings, won a coin flip to edge ahead in pre-lotto draft order, survived the lottery as no lower seeded teams jumped up and then on top of it all watched the Cavaliers pick Dion Waiters over Robinson and Barnes. Amazing.
The Warriors made the most of it with a beautiful fit in Barnes, whom we shall now call Dorell Wright Plus. Golden State also did really well later, picking up Ezeli (a promising defensive big man) and Draymond Green, who might be better than David Lee soon enough. (Right?) I don't know what an Ognjen Kuzmic is, but everyone else was taking southeastern Europeans, so why not?
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A-
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I felt like this draft really fell the Warriors' way a couple of times. They came into the draft looking to find a starter at small forward. They walked away with two serious candidates with Barnes and Green, who were both projected to go higher than the Warriors draft position. I know their heart was set on MKG or Waiters, but Barnes is a terrific consolation prize whose pro game may have been a bit obscured at UNC. I think he has the Danny Granger-esque potential and alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson gives the Warriors some serious firepower from the perimeter. I thought Green was one of the most underrated players in the draft. He's not sexy, but he's very efficient, can play two positions and does a lot of the little things that matter. I think he'll have a long, Shane Battier-like career in the NBA. Ezeli has size and is solid, and you can't ask for much more than that at 30. I had several players I liked better at 30 and felt the Warriors reached for a need a little, but I'm quibbling. Kuzmic is a project, but if he adds some strength, he could eventually find his way over here.
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B
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Harrison Barnes was the responsible pick. It was surprising that both he and Drummond were available at No. 7, and I can see the concept of getting a quality player at a need position over a gigantic question mark. If he can play off the ball and hit shots on offense, he will fit right in with the Warriors. Draymond Green was a nice pick despite there being better players on the board. He should be able to find a role with the Warriors. The Warriors also took my favorite second round Euro in Ognjen Kuzmic- he’s the closest thing to Omer Asik in this draft.
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It's been no secret that the Warriors have been looking to address their need at small forward this entire offseason, and they have to be excited about the fact that Barnes was still available at 7. Along with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Barnes gives the Warriors a ton of firepower and spacing along the perimeter, and Andrew Bogut should be afforded more room to operate in the post than he ever had in Milwaukee. Since day one, Mark Jackson has been trying to establish a culture of defense in the bay area, and Festus Ezeli is exactly the kind of big man to help do that. Draymond Green is an underrated playmaker who gives the Warriors some much-needed physicality and versatility on the perimeter, and his attitude and toughness should rub off well on Barnes. Kuzmic is a decent overseas stash, a strong 7-footer who could eventually become insurance for Bogut if his injury woes continue.
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B+
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Barnes seems the epitome of the safe pick, but really who else were the Warriors going to grab at No. 7? Outside of Austin Rivers, Barnes was the only sure thing left in the draft at that point, and even taking a chance on Andre Drummond seemed a bit much. He adds to Golden State's most notable shooting skill set, and he won't flake out when a long trip out East allows the team one day off before it has to take on the Lakers at Staples Center. Golden State got a starter. End of that story.
Grabbing a thick big man like Ezeli at No. 30, with guaranteed contract in hand, seems like a very Warriors move. The size, though? As it does every June around this time, it has us arguing things away even though we should know better.
Everyone seems to be raving about Draymond Green's all-around skills and smarts while still wondering what position he's going to play, as some sort of hybrid forward with good instincts and shot-making ability. Isn't it odd how the most fundamentally sound prospects out there always seem to stay out of the realm of the orthodox when it comes time to add them to the NBA? It's probably why I cover this league.
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A
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Getting North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes at No. 7 is about as good as consolation prizes get, and it should be interesting to see whether he or Dion Waiters is the better pro a few years from now. But the Warriors filled a serious need at small forward, and then they just continued to fill needs as the night went on. Vanderbilt centerFestus Ezeli (No. 30) can spell new Warrior Andrew Bogut and handle the backup big-man role that Kwame Brown served early last season before he sustained a season-ending chest injury and was later traded to Milwaukee. Michigan State forward Draymond Green (No. 37) is a far more productive and respected player than is typically available that deep in the draft, and Bosnian 7-footer Ognjen Kuzmic (No. 52) of the Spanish League is not a bad asset on size alone. All in all, the Warriors -- whose first pick would have gone to Utah if lower than No. 7 -- was rewarded for all that losing last season.
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A
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Barnes was our top-rated small forward and he projects better to the NBA level than college. If he can grow out of extended shooting funks, he can be an incredible asset for the Warriors. Ezeli is a massive big man who is known for being a rim protector. Green was a very good value in the second round, and should be able to step in and battle for a backup forward position.
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B+
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Harrison Barnes falls to them and that is a great fit, he can be the three that they really need to round out the starting lineup — if he lives up to potential. Like the Draymond Green pick also.
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B+
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With a healthy Stephen Curry (always a big if) to go with Klay Thompson and Dorell Wright in his contract year, Barnes adds to an already potent list of shooters. It might not address an immediate need such as a backup point guard, but Barnes was the best value on the board. With Andrew Bogut in tow, the annual search for a reliable center has slowed this summer. That said, Bogut is prone to injury, and after trading away Ekpe Udoh in the Bogut deal, Ezeli is a defensive weapon the Bucks could use in the post, even if he never becomes much more than that. Green should have gone in the first found, and the Warriors are going to love his winning approach. As for Kuzmic, I will have to see if he can make a dent with the senior club in Unicaja (Malaga, Spain) next season before making any claims about his NBA future. Frankly, the Warriors should have used the pick on Scott Machado of Iona, the nation’s assist leader who shamefully went undrafted.
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A
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Things could not have worked out much better for the Warriors. They were hoping Barnes would drop, and he could well be their starter at small forward by the end of next season. They considered taking Green at No. 30, but got him at 35, and wound up with Ezeli to boot. That might be three rotation players. The lesson, kids: Tanking pays.
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A-
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Barnes was a very solid pick, especially in a high need area for the Warriors. He will be able to contribute scoring right away, especially with the way Curry and Thompson can spread the floor. Ezeli adds some more toughness in the frontcourt to pair with David Lee, and also should contribute immediately. Picking a player like Green in the second round is never a bad move. The Warriors will be able to use his versatility on both ends, as well as gaining some much-needed maturity and leadership. Kuzmic will likely never be seen playing in the United States.
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