The Golden State Warriors passed on Bol Bol, so, Imagine this scenario:
This analogy is similar to how the Golden State Warriors passed on Bol Bol. You are offered four plots of land. From these four, you must choose three to keep for the next few years.
Three of these plots consist of adequately fertile land, in which you can plant seeds of your choosing, nurture your crops, and then hope to obtain a favorable yield when it is time to harvest.
The fourth plot? It is not that fertile at all. You will not be able to grow anything of much value in the fields. But somewhere underground lies a goldmine, and all you have to do is get lucky, and you strike it rich…
Oh, and if you choose the golden field, there is a possibility that you may still be able to choose that last plot of fertile land if nobody else wanted it.
What happens if you do not strike gold in your gamble? Nothing catastrophic, as you can still fall back on your other crops to get you by. But if you do? Everybody will rue the night that they allowed you to take that plot of land instead of seizing it for themselves.
This was the situation that was presented to the Golden State Warriors during Thursday’s NBA draft when Oregon’s 7’3” center Bol Bol continued to slide from lottery pick to second rounder.
And in the everlasting conflict between drafting the best player available and prioritizing team needs, the Warriors elected to pass up the opportunity to potentially strike gold.