Warriors Sign Picks, Spurned by Brandon Roy

After what most people deemed a very successful draft day last Thursday, the Warriors continue to look for ways to improve their roster by zeroing in on former Blazer, Brandon Roy.

Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli

Warriors GM Bob Myers mentioned the possibility of going after Roy before the draft last week, especially if the Warriors didn't end up taking a guard high in the draft. After selecting their heir apparent at small forward with pick 7, they added a sought after center in Vanderbilt's 6'11'', 265 pound Festus Ezeli. We haven't talked to much about the Warriors picks after Harrison Barnes, but they managed to get two pretty good talents after selecting the star UNC forward. Ezeli is an impact defender who plays with a high motor and plenty of court smarts. The Vanderbilt senior averaged 10.2 points, 6 boards and 2 blocks last season in just over 20 minutes per game. He was recovering from an injury early on in the year which limited his PT and production, but he still managed to come on strong towards the end of the year. He gives the Warriors the exact type of defense-first mentality they were looking to find in a big man, and as a guy coming off 4 years in college, he should be pretty tuned up and ready to help early on. They also snagged Draymond Green, the Michigan St. forward who averaged over 16 points and 10 boards last year for the Spartans. 

The Warriors filled a lot of needs with their draft selections, but one area they weren't able to shore up was their back court, which has prompted their interest in Roy. That along with the fact that Brandon Rush is entertaining offers elsewhere has got the Warriors looking desperately for help at the guard spots. Myers told us before the draft that he'd try and sign Roy if the Warriors didn't get a guard in the draft, and they didn't get one. Now with free agency hitting it's peak, the Warriors have to act on their targets quickly. Not only are they thin on 2 guards after Klay Thompson, but they also are in need of some point guard depth behind the fragile Steph Curry. I liked Roy when he was healthy in Portland, but I really don't know what he'd be able to offer them at this point. I'd rather see them spending resources on securing a good backup point guard for Curry like bringing back Jeremy Lin or even looking to a veteran like Raymond Felton. Those are two names I heard being linked to Golden State right after the season, however their limited cap space may prove getting a sought after point guard impossible.

Update: Apparently Brandon Roy was very close to signing with Golden State, but instead chose to sign on with the T-Wolves on a 2-year deal, spurning Golden State at the last second. Feels like the J.J. Hickson situation all over again in a way, but I'm not too upset to see Roy sign elsewhere. This should make bringing back Rush a top priority!