The Warriors know their fate, and they're "thrilled."
Golden State president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers admitted as much to NBC Sports Bay Area's Greg Papa after the Warriors landed the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, thanks to the results of Thursday night's lottery. With Steph Curry representing them (and sporting a new look), the ping pong balls (mostly) bounced in the Warriors' favor and secured Golden State's first pick in the top three since 2002.
Myers said he was happy with how things shook out Thursday, even if it wasn't always apparent.
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"My wife was saying, 'Do you need a drink? You look a little nervous,' " Myers quipped. "But it's one of those deals where you obviously have nothing to do with it, but chance is always good, right? It's good to have a little luck on your side, and knowing that it could've been [No. 5], or [No. 4] or [No. 3], [No. 2 is] fantastic. I mean, clearly [No. 1] is what everybody wants, but two's great. We're thrilled, and Steph delivered again. Our debt to Steph Curry gets bigger."
The Warriors have been in the lottery just once during Myers' tenure running the front office, selecting Harrison Barnes No. 7 overall. For the last half-decade, Golden State didn't have much time at all between ending its season in the NBA Finals and the draft, never more than a couple of weeks.
Things are different this time around. For one, the Warriors are coming off a 15-50 regular season, losing one more game in 2019-20 than the last two regular seasons combined. For another, Golden State's long offseason has been unusually long, considering the NBA season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus and the Warriors weren't one of the 22 teams to resume it in July amid the pandemic.
The Warriors could have more prep time yet, with the draft reportedly likely to be delayed from its scheduled Oct. 16 date. That means coach Steve Kerr will have plenty of opportunities to provide his input, and Myers said Thursday "the conversation starts now" between the front office and the coaching staff about what to do with the pick.
Golden State Warriors
"Enough that he tried to interrupt our little interview here and call me. I declined the call. We'll talk tonight, I'm sure. But look -- Steve's great. Steve wants to win, and Steve's been a GM, and he's been involved in a lot of different organizations, highly successful organizations. I completely respect and value his opinion. He's gotta be a partner in this. When you draft a player at No. 2, you certainly do that with the approval of your coach. It's a partnership, it's a collaboration. You shouldn't do it any other way."
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Myers and Kerr don't want to make a habit of picking in the lottery, and the Warriors undoubtedly will be much improved next season by having Steph Curry and Klay Thompson back in the lineup.
What the Warriors do at No. 2, though, also will go a long way towards ensuring they don't return anytime soon, and Myers is thrilled to have the chance.