“I don’t take it personally,” said Udoh, the Warriors’ lone pick. “I don’t pay any attention to it. I just know I’m going to work hard.”
Newest member of the Golden State Warriors, Ekpe Udoh, tells the media that he’s come to work hard. This is an expected response from a player that many online reviews of last night’s draft have dubbed as another head-scratching move by the team where head-scratching is, unfortunately, their forte.
Here’s a disconcerting statement by GM Larry Riley:
“You’re not going to put him down the block and have him whip Carlos Boozer, but he can play around the basket,” Riley said. “I think he’s another guy who can move the ball successfully, and I think he’ll run very well for us, and Steph will find him in the open court.”
Well, if Udoh, drafted for his defensive skills, can’t defend Boozer, who will? Or by defense, do we mean another skinny, weak-side shot-blocker that can’t really defend at the NBA level yet? Heck, even players like Jason Maxiell will begin to look like Carlos Boozer if he goes against the Warriors new “Skinny 3.”
If having a 6’9 trio is supposed to be a marketing scheme, I’m calling it now: This will go down as one of the biggest sports marketing blunders since … last season when Monta Ellis was given the keys to the franchise?
Ahh, thank you Warriors for all the head-scratching…