Ranking Golden State Warriors five most important drafts in the 2010s

Golden State Warriors: Ranking the team’s five most important drafts since 2000

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2005

The Warriors’ 2005 draft was headlined by Monta Ellis. He was an afterthought entering that 2005 training camp. It was Ike Diogu, the Warriors’ lottery pick in that draft, that has the spotlight on him.

Well, it was their first of two second-round picks in Ellis that eventually became a star. Ellis didn’t start out hot, averaging around 7 points per game his rookie season. It took Ellis just half a decade to notch over 25 per game.

Ellis was a star, but like many think is the case with D’Angelo Russell, he was never going to be a top-two player on a championship-caliber team. However, he was one of the best Warriors to lace them up in the first fifth of the century.

As for Diogu, he played six seasons in the league but never averaged double figures. They did get their revenge though as Ellis has scored the most points of any player that was selected after Diogu.

Overall, 2005 set the pace in terms of the players that helped assist in the growth of the current Big 3.

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