:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1736077/GYI0063153009.jpg)
The Warriors got what they tanked for, as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News wrote yesterday after the Golden State Warriors kept the seventh pick in the 2012 NBA Draft after the draft lottery.
While some fans - particularly in Utah - might complain about the process required to keep that pick, we can now look ahead knowing that Warriors can add a top 10 prospect to the roster. The following is just a brief summary of who people are linking to the Warriors at #7 right now and some additional insights about those picks from Ed Weiland of Hoopsanalyst.
| Mock Draft | Selection |
| SB Nation | Jared Sullinger |
| DraftExpress | Harrison Barnes |
| Jeff Goodman | Jared Sullinger |
| Matt Moore | Jared Sullinger |
| Chad Ford | Jared Sullinger |
| Sports Illustrated | Jared Sullinger |
SB Nation's Tom Ziller writes that Sullinger is, "Also known as 'better David Lee'" while DraftExpress notes that he fits into the same mold as Kevin Love, Luis Scola, and Paul Milsap. But while others talk about what he offers now, Weiland focused on how much he improved.
3. Jared Sullinger, PF Ohio State: I’m always impressed by a player who identifies a problem and corrects it. This shows the type of intelligence that will help him succeed at the next level. Sullinger was a very good college freshman. But he still needed to improve to make himself a good prospect. He did that. He dropped some weight over the summer and got quicker. His defensive numbers have gone from poor to adequate (I know it doesn’t sound impressive, but this is a big deal considering how good a scorer he already is.) and his FG pct. went from adequate to good.
ESPN's Jay Bilas described Barnes as "an elite jumpshooter" during last night's lottery broadcast, but Weiland describes the numbers don't inspire much faith in him as a major contributor in the pros.
14. Harrison Barnes, SF North Carolina: There just isn't a lot to like about Barnes as a prospect. The only skill that stands out is he's a high volume scorer. His defensive and passing numbers are weak. He barely hits 50% of his 2-pointers, which raises questions about his ability to become more than just a gunner at the next level.
The possibility of a trade has also been mentioned - packaging some combination of their four picks - with a young veteran small forward a possible target, according to Kawakami.
Click here for a look at the full draft order, who do you think the Warriors should draft? Or should they be aggressively looking for trades?