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7 Times the Golden State Warriors missed on a superstar in the NBA Draft

By Tony Pesta

LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1984: Head coach K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics looks on with Larry Bird #33 against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1984 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Jones coached the Celtics from 1983-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1984: Head coach K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics looks on with Larry Bird #33 against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1984 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Jones coached the Celtics from 1983-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

3. Kevin Garnett

Entering the 1995 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors were beginning to grow desperate for a young star. They had just lost Chris Webber following a ROTY campaign and 50 win season. Now, the franchise was coming off a 26-56 record and looking to recover.

As luck would have it, the Warriors managed to snag the top pick in the draft. This stood as just the third time in franchise history they had been awarded the number one overall pick and the Dubs weren’t looking to waste it.

Sadly, waste is exactly what they did. They drafted Joe Smith, a center out of Maryland. Besides having perhaps the most generic name possible, Smith also happened to be a painfully average NBA player. He played only two seasons with the Warriors but did have a respectable 15-year career in the league averaging 10.9 points.

While the Warriors bet their money on Smith, the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted a franchise-changing talent in Kevin Garnett four picks later. Garnett was a monster forward with next-level athleticism.

It didn’t take long for Garnett to become a star. He won the MVP award in 2004 and Defensive Player of the Year just a few years later. He reached fifteen All-Star Games and won a championship with the Boston Celtics.

Other notable names in the 1995 NBA Draft include Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, Brent Barry and Michael Finley.

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