We had two picks heading into the 2007 draft. We used the 1st round pick (18th overall) to select Marco Belinelli. His only asset at the time he was drafted was his ability to shoot. The Warriors were full of shooters. We didn't need to add more of what we already had an abundance of. What we needed was more defense. If we couldn't get a true backup point guard, or a dominant big man, we simply needed defense.
Considering the players available at the time of the pick:
With the 18th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, The Golden State Warriors select
Arron Afflalo, UCLA.
Both him and Belinelli play SG, and Afflalo can lock down his man, which is something both Richardson and Ellis struggle with. By bringing in Afflalo, it gives us insurance on two fronts:
1. As Richardson's defense declines, we have a perimeter defender to replace him with in the starting lineup.
2. Also, because of Ellis' struggles on defense, we can justify keeping Ellis a 6th man.
In the 2nd round, we should be grabbing the best defender we can, regardless of position.
Considering the players available at the time of the pick:
With the 36th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, The Golden State Warriors select
Dominic McGuire, Fresno St. University.
With these two defenders, we have a more balanced, deeper team heading into the season.
