Warriors draft look: Shooting guards

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The Warriors headinto Thursdays NBA draft with four selections: The No. 7 pick, the No. 30pick, the No. 35 pick and the No. 52 pick. While the Warriors would seem tohave four positions pretty much setpoint guard, shooting guard, powerforward and centerthe reality is that they could go in any direction comedraft day.

STEINMETZ: NBA mock draft 3.0
Leading up toThursday, well rank the top players at each position, and see whether or notthey could fit into the Warriors draft plans.SHOOTINGGUARDSBrad Beal, Florida,6-3, 207 pounds: From Day 1, Beal has been considered the bestshooting guard in the NBA draft, and hell take that mantle all the way toThursday. He may never be a star, but most NBA executives believe hell be asolid starter for much of his career.Warriorsangle: Quite frankly, there doesnt seem to be one. Beal never workedout for the Warriors, and he likely wont be there when they draft at No.7.DionWaiters, Syracuse, 6-4, 210 pounds: Waiters very well may be thetoughest player in the draft, someone who is not afraid to be aggressive andmake some mistakes along the way.Hes certainly moreof a shooting guard than a point guard, though he can play some point. Thething about Waiters is this: Hes not a perfect player, but the consensus seemsto be hes got a chance to be pretty darn good.Warriorsangle: On the surface, the Warriors wouldnt seem to have a lot ofinterest in Waiters. Hes not a true point guardwhich they needandtheyve made it abundantly clear that Klay Thompson is their man at thetwo.But if you look alittle deeper, you could make a case for Waiters. More importantly, the Warriorscould, too. The Warriors certainly need toughness, and he would bring some ofthat.And even if Waitersstrength isnt the point, he wont have to play a lot of it because StephenCurry will get most of the minutes there. No doubt, Waiters would be a surprisepickbut it wouldnt be completely shocking or out of the blue.JeremyLamb, Connecticut, 6-5, 180 pounds: When it comes to sheer talent andability, some believe Lamb is right up there with Beal. And as far as upsidesgo, Lambs is pretty high.But theres thatlittle question about his toughness and whether or not hell be able to adjustto the physicality of the league. If Lamb can, hes got a chance to be prettygood.Warriorsangle: Lamb didnt work out for the Warriors, and nobody seems tothink hell end up in Golden Stateeven though hell likely be there whenthey draft.The probablethinking on Lamb is that he pretty much plays just one position and thats Thompsonsspot. The fact Lamb is a shooting guard and shooting guard only likely meansthe Warriors will pass.TerrenceRoss, Washington, 6-6, 195 pounds: Theres a lot to like about Ross.Hes got NBA size and strength and hes already a pretty good shooter andgetting better.Hes also one of thebest rebounding guards in the draft, averaging more than six per game for theHuskies this past season.Warriorsangle: There are suggestions that there is an unknown team or two inthe top-10 that covets Ross. So, naturally, the Warriors come to mind, sincetheyre picking No. 7.But Ross would be aproblematic picknot unlike Lambbecause his best position is smallforward. Ross might be able to play some three in time, but probably notconsistently.It just seems liketheres too much overlap there with Thompson. If the Warriors go small, youvegot to believe the small player they take can probably play a little of bothguard spots.AustinRivers, Duke, 6-4, 200 pounds; Those who like Rivers talk about hisbasketball IQ and his pedigree (hes the son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers). Buthe has his detractors, and theyll tell you hes an undersized two and a volumeshooter, to boot.One thing is clearwith Rivers: Hes got room for growth.Warriorsangle: It doesnt seem to make any sense for the Warriors to beinterested in an undersized shooting guard. Then again, Rivers could impact theWarriors in an indirect way.If the Blazers takeRivers at No. 6, the Warriors would no doubt love that, as it would mean apreviously un-slipped player had just slipped to Golden State.

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