The Golden State Warriors seemingly didn’t get much luck in the NBA lottery as they remained at the No. 11 spot. Yet that might actually be the best thing that could have happened for the Warriors because it now means that controlling owner Joe Lacob isn't going to get his hands involved in the draft process as much.
Everyone knows that Lacob loves the draft because it gives him a chance to play general manager and pretend that he knows how to evaluate talent. His track record isn't great as two of the players he’s really fallen in love with, James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga, turned out to be disastrous picks for the Warriors.
Warriors may have more flexibility with No. 11 pick thanks to draft lottery
It’s nice that Lacob takes an interest in the draft and he certainly should since it’s really the best way for NBA teams to create durable success in the league, yet his ego can often blind his judgment and can be detrimental to the team if he falls in love with a prospect.
He seems to have a tendency to fall in love with players who have great athletic ability, such as Kuminga, but don't necessarily fit into the type of basketball the Warriors like to play with Stephen Curry as the nexus of the team.
With head coach Steve Kerr back in the fold, it's going to be interesting to see if the dynamic changes at all. Did Kerr make it clear that he wants to have a significant say on draft picks if he were to return? That would be ideal because at least Kerr and the coaching staff would be taking a chance on a guy who they actually see fitting into their system, rather than trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole by attempting to accommodate Lacob’s desires.
We’ve seen how that worked out with Wiseman and Kuminga. In both cases the Warriors were forced to trade them away because it simply wasn't working, proving what can happen when Lacob gets too involved in the draft process.
Now, maybe the Warriors decide to trade the No. 11 pick away along with other picks and assets to try to land a star player to pair with Curry. Most of the chatter is going to center on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, but perhaps the Warriors can use that pick to land a more realistic target.
As long as the Warriors don’t end up drafting another player that Lacob becomes fixated on, then it’s a win. Had the Warriors earned a higher draft pick then Lacob’s hubris likely would have gotten the better of him, and the team may have taken another chance on a risky prospect.
Now they are far enough down to where there probably isn’t someone Lacob will be in love with available, meaning they could have more flexibility with the pick and make make more of a team-first decision rather than an ego-based one.
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