I suppose I should be excited about Bradley Center Patrick O’bryant joining the Warriors. After all, he is big, athletic and has good hands. Those three qualities alone make him the most intriguing center prospect the Warriors have drafted since Joe Barry Carroll in 1980. I just can’t help but wonder why a legitimate center with his perceived ability wouldn’t even be considered for the number one pick in the weakest draft in recent memory? Maybe this will be the one time that drafting for need will work out in our favor? Something inside me just say’s that this is just another safe and uncreative move by the most consistently boring and awful franchise in the history of professional sports.
Don’t get me wrong, I sincerely hope that O’bryant has the drive and desire to become a top Center in the league. If he doesn’t have that inner desire to compete there is a very good chance he could end up like former number one pick Michael Olowakandi. Fortunately for the Warriors even Olowakandi would be an upgrade over Adonal Foyle. Unfortunately, they had to pass up two legitimate NBA players in order to gamble on the upside that O’bryant offers. Marcus Williams is a future NBA assist leader and potential All-Star Point Guard. He is easily the best passer and pure Point Guard in this draft and is a proven winner. Ronnie Brewer is the son of a former NBA player and is one of the top athletes in the draft. At 6’7 this multitalented player can run the offense and guard three positions. He is a more athletic and skilled version of Mike Dunleavy and would have been the perfect compliment to Monta Ellis for years to come in the Warriors backcourt.
I guess the biggest disappointment is the status quo that still exists in Warrior land. Just once I want us to be the pro-active team that pulls off a blockbuster trade or two and reshapes a miserable hopeless situation. I can’t help but look at Memphis and wonder what it is about Jerry West that allows him to so easily transform a mid first round selection and Shane Battier into Rudy Gay, Stromile Swift, Kyle Lowry and Alex Johnson. Does he have magic powers? Portland got unlucky on lottery day but made everything ok by being pro-active and having a plan on draft day. Portland took lemons and made lemonade to the tune of Lamarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Sergio Rodriguez and Joel Freeland.
Hopefully this little rant is premature and Mullin will make me eat my words in early July when he transforms the roster by making some major trades, but based on the track record of this organization I am not holding out much hope that they can actually get anything significant done. I am still puzzled by Mullins belief in the young core and his unwavering allegiance to Mike Montgomery. Without a major roster shakeup that brings in another superstar to pair with Baron I just don’t share his vision for this current group of people. I will have a better indication of what O’bryant can do after I get a chance to scout him first hand in Las Vegas next week where he will presumably start at Center for the Warriors Summer League team. Hopefully after next week I will feel differently about the future of the franchise, but I have been waiting 12 years and my patience is pretty thin.