Editor’s Note: Monte Poole, Logan Murdock, Drew Shiller and Grant Liffmann participated in the inaugural NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors Ultimate Draft. All four chose squads from a group of 25-man legends from the past 30 years, plus five “classic” players from before 1990. Our team of experts will analyze the merits of each team until a winner is crowned.
There were definitely some surprise picks in the Warriors Ultimate Draft, which had a significant ripple effect on how the draft played out.
Liffmann never anticipated ending all three Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
But without further ado, from No. 1 to No. 24, this is how the draft was developed:
1) Steph Curry
Team Liffmann
The moment Grant won the lottery, he let it be known that Curry would be the one. Duh Arguably, Steph is the most beloved athlete in the Bay Area’s history.
2) Kevin Durant
Team Murdock
He captured two NBA Finals MVP awards in three seasons with the Warriors, and could have been 3-for-3 if he wasn’t injured in 2019 against the Toronto Raptors. It would have been shocking if Logan went in another direction.
3) Rick Barry
Team Shiller
He was named the MVP of the 1975 NBA Finals after averaging 29.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals when the Warriors swept the favorite Washington Bullets. The Hall of Fame was an All-Star 12 times.
4) Chris Mullin
Team Poole
Mully was an All-Star five consecutive seasons from 1989 to 1993, and averaged 25.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals during that period. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Warriors retired his 17th jersey in 2012.
5) Baron Davis
Team Poole
Even though he left Golden State in free agency after the 2007-08 season, he will always have a special place in the hearts of Warriors fans because he was the best player in the 2006-07 “We Believe” squad (and destroyed Andrei Kirilenko).
6) Wilt Chamberlain
Team Shiller
His really didn’t expect “The Big Dipper” to still be on the board, so it was basically obvious. The man who averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game in 1961-62 and is one of the top 10 players in NBA history.
7) Chris Webber
Team Murdock
This choice surprised everyone, because Webber played only one season with the Warriors. In 1993-94, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals. Oh, what could have been.
8) Klay Thompson
Team Liffmann
“Game 6 Klay” is a three-time NBA champion, five-time All-Star, and two-time All-NBA. It has a 100 percent approval rating with Warriors fans, and it’s quite shocking that it has fallen that far.
9) Draymond Green
Team Liffmann
He was the second most important player in the Warriors with 73 wins, and will probably be named MVP of the 2016 NBA Finals if Golden State beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 (when he recorded 32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and two robberies).
10) Mitch Richmond
Team Murdock
The No. 5 overall pick in the 1988 draft averaged 23.9 points and 5.9 rebounds for the 1990-91 Warriors, who defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the “M” in “Run TMC” was traded to the Sacramento Kings six months later.
11) Tim Hardaway
Team Shiller
Over a three-year span from 1990-91 to 1992-93, the “T” in “Run TMC” averaged 22.7 points and 10.0 assists per game. It was an All-Star all three seasons.
12) Latrell Sprewell
Team Poole
“Spree” averaged 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 1993-94 (his second season in the NBA). He took home the First-Team All-NBA and Second-Team All-Defense honors. That is quite incredible.
13) Nate Thurmond
Team Poole
A seven-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive selection, “Nate the Great” was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
14) Andre Iguodala
Team Shiller
The 2015 NBA Finals MVP will finally have his No. 9 jersey hanging on the beams of the Chase Center. It was a big deal for the franchise when it really wanted to join the Warriors as a free agent in 2013.
15) Stephen Jackson
Team Murdock
“Stack Jack” averaged 22.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals in the Warriors’ historic loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. In Game 6, he went 7-for-8 from a 3 point range.
16) Andrew Bogut
Team Liffmann
The selection of the 2014-15 Second Defense Team was vital in helping to make the Warriors one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. At the other end of the floor, he put up fabulous screens and kept the ball moving.
17) Jason Richardson
Team Liffmann
The two-time NBA dunk champion was traded on 2007 draft day by Brandan Wright (No. 8 overall). He averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in the 2007 playoffs.
18) Antawn Jamison
Team Murdock
He started all 82 games in the 2000-01 season, averaging 24.9 points and 8.7 rebounds in 41.4 minutes. Remember when he scored 51 points in consecutive games against the Seattle SuperSonics and Los Angeles Lakers?
19) ride Ellis
Team Shiller
Dub Nation didn’t like it when Monta was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in March 2012, but it was the right decision. He is revered locally and has nothing but love for Warriors fans everywhere.
20) Gilbert Arenas
Team Poole
The first pick of the second round in the 2001 draft exceeded all expectations. As a result, he became too expensive and left in free agency after just two seasons with the Warriors. He became an All-Star three times with the Washington Wizards.
21) Billy Owens
Team Poole
The No. 3 overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft (for the Kings) was traded to the Warriors for Richmond. After three strong seasons in Dubs’ uniform, he was traded to the Miami Heat.
22) Shaun Livingston
Team Shiller
As a central member of the Warriors’ career to five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2019, Livingston was the consummate professional. Don’t be surprised if you return to the franchise in an official role at some point in the future.
23) Joe Smith
Team Murdock
The Warriors selected Smith with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 draft. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in the middle of his third season.
24) David Lee
Team Liffmann
In 2013, Lee became the first Warrior to join the All-Star team since Sprewell in 1997. Draymond ended up impersonating him, but Lee had a couple of pleasant moments during the 2015 NBA Finals against the Cavs.
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