The eighth pick belongs to the Golden State Warriors. Their net GM is:
Russ Smith

Brevin Kinght

I. Team needs/history:
Once again team turmoil is in transition, Adelman and Twardzik are gone,
PJ Carlesimo is the coach and Jim Lynam is rumored to be the next GM(no
old white boys network in action here). PJ wants to stress defense and
hustle, admirable traits but that's what Adelman said too. Chris Mullin
is gone for sure, Sprewell was rumored as possibly being packaged with
the #8 pick for Tim Duncan until san Antonio announced they would use
the pick. The team needs size, strength and a young PG who can
distribute the ball, Joe Smith and Sprewell are the best players but
beyond them nobody is untouchable except Donyell Marshall because of his

II. My selection is Brevin Knight PG from Stanford for a whole shitload
of reasons! The team stupidly invested in aging Mark Price last year,
and still has BJ Armstrong around. Melvin Booker spent time at the PG
spot as well, and Sprewell handles the ball alot at the 2. This results
in an inordinate amount of shots from the guards and while Joe Smith is
likely the only scorer on the front line, guys like Felton Spencer and
Andrew DeClercq need the ball and if Todd Fuller is ever going to
develop he needs a PG who can use him. I love Billups but I suspect he's
still learning how to play PG and Knight is further polished but smaller
and less talented. Brevin has health concerns with his leg and lack of
strength but he's tough as nails and is a pure PG in every sense of the

III. Who else I considered: Obviously Tony Battie and Adonal Foyle
jumped out as did Tim Thomas who might be better than Joe Smith since he
knows his position already. Smith's made it clear he likely won't be
back next year so a good bigman will be needed so why take Knight?
Battie I've seen a couple of times, good athlete, kind of like PJ Brown
but he's skinny and I question if he's got a postup game other than
dunking. Foyle has the best NBA body but he's a foreign kid who's still
learning the game and played inferior competition in college, and he
might have to play PF instead of C because of size. Great shotblocker
but I think it will take patience to work with this kid and after Fuller
last year this team wants a guy who will play right away. Warrior fans
will likely hate this pick but I think Knight's the best fit/

IV. Who the team will really take: My guess is Battie won't really be
there, if he is they'll jump at him. Also Foyle and Thomas but Thomas is
a SF and the team is slowly admitting that so is Joe Smith. If you take
Thomas you simply change Marshall sitting behind Mullin to Marshall
competing with Thomas and you wind up with 2 overpaid part-time players.
I expect they will end up with Foyle and will hope to get a young PG
later who can pan out, possibly a guy like Shammgod who I see going in
the 2nd round because he can't shoot.

V. Other moves to be made- Get a GM and don't hire Lynam, he's shown
himself to be a mediocre coach so why make him a GM? Give someone new a
chance and get Chris Cohan out of the equation, he's an owner not a GM.
Mullin will be gone somehow although a trade will be tough under the
cap. I suspect he'll go before the draft so it could be any time now.
Fuller will get more minutes because they have to play him and Marshall
and find out what they can do. Smith is going to have a better year
because he wants to get rich in free agency, hopefully they can lock him
up but if not he could be an addition by subtraction guy because he's a
lousy defender and his offensive game is still dunks or jumpers with
little else. Rasheed Wallace is now a better player as is McDyess. Don't
be surprised if Joe plays SF and DeClercq plays PF alot next year.
This is a bad team who needs a lot more than one pick unfortunately.

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