The Golden State Warriors are diving into their pre-draft process full force, but they aren't just putting their eggs in the baskets of the big names. They are also working out possible sleeper picks, and that's where Stanford's Josh Owens comes in.
As the Contra Costa Times' Marcus Thompson II reports, Owens turned some heads at the Brooklyn Nets combine in front of dozens of NBA general managers, including the Warriors. He measured at 6-foot-9 with shoes and 230 pounds with a 40.8-inch standing vertical, the best at the combine. He was also the strongest with 21 reps on the bench press.
There are still concerns due to his somewhat average production in college. But all he can do is control what effort he puts on the floor and hope that someone sees something in him to take a longer look.
"My college resume, individually, wasn't necessarily spectacular," Owens said. "But at the end of the day, college is college and the NBA is the NBA. I'm just going in there with a hardworking mindset and hoping to impress people."
The Warriors also worked out Washington guard Tony Wroten and Vanderbilt small forward Jeffrey Taylor, who both could possibly be in play with pick no. 30, though Wroten dropping that far would be a major surprise.
Michigan State's Draymond Green, West Virginia's Kevin Jones, Syracuse's Kris Joseph and Xavier's Tu Holloway all worked out as well and could be considerations in the second round where the Warriors have picks no. 36 and no. 52.
Talk about what the Warriors plan to do with their draft picks with other fans at Golden State of Mind.