The Golden State Warriors made their way through the 2011 NBA Draft and made some interesting choices that could establish some solid depth to the roster. There were question marks around the selection of Klay Thompson but the Warriors seem to like the fact that he is a serious scoring threat. Charles Jenkins could prove to be the backup point guard the team has been missing for some time. And Jeremy Tyler is a raw project with a ton of upside (and plenty of bust potential).
Over at Golden State of Mind, Warriors fans have been voting on draft grades since the end of the draft. Thus far the highest percentage belongs to a grade of B, but a sizable minority have gone with an A. The numbers will change, but as of this writing, three-quarters of voters give the Warriors either an A or a B.
Although Jenkins and Tyler could prove quite valuable for the Warriors, much of this draft will revolve around the kind of role Klay Thompson takes on as a rookie and beyond. Unfortunately, much of that will depend on how the Warriors deal with Monta Ellis. Thompson is a guard who could fit in well with one of the two Warriors backcourt contingent, but not both. You could almost justify giving this pick an incomplete in that sense. At the same time, if Thompson can provide some big scoring off the bench as a rookie, maybe it justifies a B grade at this point. Imagine the small lineup the Warriors could produce with Ellis, Curry and Thompson?
In looking at the Charles Jenkins pick, I'd argue it is no worse than a B. I believe Jay Bilas called him a poor man's Jimmer Fredette. Even without that kind of projection, a solid backup point guard can be hard to find and if the Warriors can turn a second round pick into such a reserve this pick could prove to be a home run.
As for Tyler, he definitely personifies an incomplete grade. He has a huge amount of upside, but there is also a good chance he's a bust. The Warriors made a calculated gamble in buying the Bobcats pick. They've been looking for a legit big man for some time now (sorry Andris Biedrins, you don't count after this past season). If Tyler pans out, this could turn into the Warriors best pick. It will be fun to see how Tyler develops under new head coach Mark Jackson.
For more discussion and analysis of the Warriors, head on over to Golden State of Mind to get in on the action.