Dub Hub, Daily Warriors Links for 6/21/23: Mike Dunleavy Jr. describes his ideal player ahead of the NBA Draft

Good Morning Dub Nation,

The NBA Draft is just one day away, meaning the Golden State Warriors will finally begin to answer some of the burning questions surrounding the team this offseason. With rumors of every draft move imaginable — from trade ups and trade downs, to trading away the pick or simply standing pat — one thing is clear: Golden State must add quality players to their roster. During his introductory press conference on Monday, newly minted Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. outlined his ideal player ahead of this year’s draft.

“First and foremost, you got to distinguish between acquiring talent and building a team,” Dunleavy explained. “And so for us, the team thing is huge, how these players work and interact together.

“Beyond that, as far as individual skill sets, [we] place a premium on being able to play both ways, defend your position — and on the offensive end — be able to bring something to the table. High premium on shooting. In this day and age, the way the league’s going, shooting is important. So from there, those are kind of the main things and you work your way down with other skill sets. Character is a big part of it. But again, emphasizing what works for our team and that may not work for other teams, it’s different. Knowing what our coaching staff likes and what’s worked here is an important part of the evaluation.”

Dunleavy makes it clear that he is going to prioritize players that fit the Warriors’ culture. It’s easy to see why this would be a major point of emphasis for the organization moving forward, given that they just finished a season where their once heralded team chemistry was in shambles from the start.

More importantly, he is looking for players that fit what the “coaching staff likes”. One of the frustrations of last season was the lack of playing time and development for the Warriors’ younger players. Head coach Steve Kerr preferred players who understood how to play in his system (i.e., Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb) over the team’s heavily invested lottery picks who were still learning their place in the league (James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody). This led to contentious moments throughout the year and explains why there are many reports of Golden State favoring older, more polished prospects in this year’s draft.

Dunleavy will have his opportunity to find his ideal player on Thursday, but it remains to be seen if that person will be available when the Warriors are up with the 19^th pick in the draft.

Here are the rest of today’s stories:

In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:

• Draymond Green opts out, but it doesn’t really mean anything
• Shaun Livingston decides to leave Warriors front office after three years
• 2023 SB Nation mock draft: Warriors select Noah Clowney
• Warriors officially introduce new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.
• Warriors reached out to Suns about potential Chris Paul trade

Other Warriors News:

• Draymond decision forces Warriors to commit to today or tomorrow (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Stephen A. names biggest difference between Dubs, Suns Big Threes (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Who is the next face of the NBA? Giannis? Wembanyama? Luka? (The Athletic)
• The Warriors’ hard-to-love new GM is a flashback to bad times (SF Gate)
• What is Jonathan Kuminga’s height? Fact-checking Warriors forward’s viral 7-2 growth spurt rumors (The Sporting News)

NBA News:

• Sources: Kyle Kuzma declines option, becomes free agent (ESPN)
• An inside look at the Spurs landing the right to take Victor Wembanyama and the lottery results that could spur an active offseason (Yahoo Sports)
• Brandon Miller ‘Further Solidified’ Himself As Probable Choice For Hornets At No. 2 (Real GM)
• NBA Trade Rumors: Paul George’s Value Gauged by Clippers; Blazers, Rockets Linked (Bleacher Report)
• 2023 NBA Mock Draft: SB Nation writers project the first round (SB Nation)