As the countdown to the 2011 NBA Draft keeps ticking away, the mock draft game has been taken to another level. So many players fit with so many teams that have so many options, it's almost as mind numbing as, say, the NFL Draft (key word is almost). As for the Golden State Warriors, they have a plethora of holes to fill with a surfeit of players to fill them, but according to NBAdraft.net's latest NBA mock draft, the Warriors will select University of Texas freshman Tristan Thompson in the NBA Lottery.
At 6'9" 225 pounds Thompson is a bit undersized to play power forward in the NBA, but is versatile enough to play other positions on the floor. He's a lefty, has good post skills, and plays pretty solid defense. His jump shot can be a bit suspect from time to time, but that is something that can always be worked on once in the NBA. He's gained some size over the last year, and will likely get even stronger, and could fit in nicely with the W's off the bench. I don't really see how Thompson's energy, speed, and all-around basketball skills could hinder the Warriors if they chose him.
However, NBAdraft.net compares him to Brandon Wright, a player the Warriors basically gave away. Why would they want another Brandon Wright taking up a seat on the bench then? A bit confusing, but so is the NBA.