12 Disastrous moves the Warriors wish they could undo
By Tyler Watts
9. Drafting Ike Diogu
The Warriors' track record in the draft is not strong. They selected Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, but there were a lot of misses before and after those home runs. Golden State was stuck near the bottom for years in part because they failed to find difference-makers in the draft.
The Dubs had not made the playoffs in 11 straight years when they had the ninth overall pick in 2005. They desperately needed to improve the talent on their roster and hoped Diogu would be a game-changer. It quickly became clear he wasn’t. The Warriors traded him after just one season, and he never averaged more than 14.9 minutes per game for a season.
Andrew Bynum and David Lee were two All-Star big men still on the board when the Warriors selected. Bynum went to the Lakers tenth overall, and Lee was the final pick in the first round by the Knicks. Golden State also passed on Danny Granger, Nate Robinson, and Jarrett Jack to take Diogu.
The Golden State Warriors redeemed themselves by taking Monta Ellis 40th overall in this draft. Diogu produced the seventh-worst value over replacement player (VORP) in this class, but Ellis had the eighth-best. Picking a bust in the top ten always hurts, and the Dubs certainly regret taking Ike Diogu.