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Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers spoke with the media Thursday about his two latest draft picks and began by saying, “It’s always good to get younger.” That’s a shift for a team that had relied on veteran talent to bookend the exploits of its 20-something All-Stars. Myers said this as, coincidentally, a TV to his left played scenes from Cleveland’s victory parade. Right now, the Warriors would prefer not to live in that very recent past. Can a team state an intention with picks 30 and 38? While it’s true that such selections are something just short of lottery tickets, the drafting of Vanderbilt center Damian Jones and UNLV guard Patrick McCaw carries implications. It means something as Golden State starts its offseason of immense flux. The second-round pick of McCaw was the surprise, considering Golden State had to buy the slot (to the tune of $2.4 million). This investment means the Warriors are likely eating up one more roster spot than was expected going into the draft. As in: Golden State’s cohesive bench will suffer some major turnover, with or without a Kevin Durant-sized acquisition. On whether the Warriors were buying a pick even if McCaw weren’t available, a smiling Myers said of his front office, “You know, I learned that these guys want action. I had a feeling we would buy a pick.” Driven by owner Joe Lacob’s ambition, the Warriors are making moves. Though he was drafted behind Jones, McCaw might be the more intriguing prospect. Listed at 6-foot-7, the 20-year-old guard defends multiple positions, and snagged 2.5 steals last season in the Mountain West Conference. That defensive potential comes with the added bonus of passing vision (3.9 assists per game) and 3-point range (36.6 percent behind the arc). The ever-athletic Jones is more of a typical center, which could mean that Golden State is bracing for the possible absence of free-agent big (and fellow Vandy alumni) Festus Ezeli. The easy jump to make is that Jones figures to be Ezeli’s replacement. (The symmetry of Ezeli also having been drafted at No. 30 out of Vanderbilt, in 2012, is striking.) Myers mentioned that Jones projects as the rare big who can switch onto guards, which factored into why the pick was made. Warriors fans, still nursing NBA Finals heartache, might recall that Game 7 turned when Ezeli fouled LeBron James on a switch. Of course, it’s optimistic to think Jones ever gets as good as Ezeli’s been, especially before he needed midseason knee surgery. Pick number 30 is usually a ticket out of the league. Again, selections made after the lottery more resemble odds associated with lottery tickets. The Warriors are an optimistic organization, though, and they’re looking to retool in the wake of their great disappointment. They’re looking to the future right now, and the future is young.
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