Here’s my big board for the draft tonight. Bottom line is that I would absolutely love to get MKG, am not a fan of Harrison Barnes though I still think he’ll be decent, and think a trade down — say, with Houston for their two best remaining first rounders, or 12 and Lowry — would make a lot of sense if my top 3 are off the board.

1. Anthony Davis — For all of the obvious reasons
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — A winner, a physical mismatch at a position of need, a plus defender who could be a lock-down you assign to the superstars in this league, and an unselfish player on a roster with plenty of scorers. Ready to contribute immediately.
3. Thomas Robinson — Hard to go wrong with his size, and he performed great on the national stage. Would become the immediate backup for Lee and maybe make the latter expendable in the mind of management (whether they could trade him though is another story).
4. Andre Drummond — Simply put, the potential reward is worth the risk. At the very least, he becomes a huge potential trade asset at next year’s deadline as long as he can do anything positive in the meantime.
5. Bradley Beal — Can’t-miss prospect, but at the easiest position on the court to fill.
6. Dion Waiters — Pretty much the same as Beal, though I do like the edge he would bring and his ability to drive.
7. Harrison Barnes — Great measurables, but a surprising lack of athleticism on the court and I don’t trust his motor. While he’s a fairly safe pick to be at least a decent rotation player, he avoided physical contact throughout college so I worry he’ll turn into an exclusive jump-shooter who doesn’t rebound and doesn’t defend. Not exactly what the Warriors need, even if he’d still be an upgrade over Wright and Jefferson.
8. Tyler Zeller — Totally unsexy pick, but the guy is going to be a backup center in the league for the next 10 years and will be able to contribute right away.
9. Damian Lillard — Has Monta redux written all over him, though at least he has a bit more of a background as a true PG than Monta did when he came into the league. If the Warriors pick a guard, I really think it needs to be someone who can provide backup minutes at both positions. The kid can still score though which has value.
10. Kendall Marshall — Best true PG in the draft, and has enough size that he might be able to cover 2′s while Curry is on the court (though Marshall is hardly a defensive wizard). While he’s probably not athletic enough to ever be truly great, I think he’s guaranteed to be a solid backup PG for years to come.
11. Royce White — All the tools, and this Grantland feature makes me feel that the anxiety disorder worries, while still a factor to consider, aren’t crippling.
12. Moe Harkless — Great defensive potential, high ceiling, and the right attitude to get there.
13. Meyers Leonard — 7’1″ and not completely lost on the court. That’s reason enough to take a flier in the middle of the first round.
14. John Henson — A poor man’s Anthony Davis, if he can actually put on weight he could be something special. But he has a long way to go and will likely have an early career that mirrors Brandon Wright. Would be a better pick as a trade asset than immediate contributor.
15. Jae Crowder — Would love to snag this guy at 30 based on his advanced stats alone. I wouldn’t mind him in the teens either if the Warriors end up there for their second pick.
16. Jared Sullinger — Even with the back issues, by the middle of the first round he’s worth taking a chance on.
17. Terrence Jones — A bit of a tweener as he’s not quite as big as you’d like at PF and it doesn’t sound like he showed much ability to play the 3, but the best of what’s remaining at this point.
18. Terrence Ross — Prototypical SF size, not the most exciting pick but should at least be a rotation player.
19. Evan Fournier — Great way to stash a rookie off the roster if they end up with too many, and should be the SF of the future. That future is at least a few years away, though.
20. Fab Melo — Great size, though at this point we’re definitely getting into potential bust territory.

UPDATE: A second man’s (Jake’s) kinda big board. Got this up late after 3 days of no internet access.

Posted by Mike in draft