With the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors chose Washington State wing Klay Thompson. It was no secret Jerry West fell in love with Thompson early in the process, and the Warriors were simply hoping he'd still be around when they picked at No. 11. And while Golden State had plenty of pressing needs, Thompson was seen as they best available on its board, and was a no-brainer pick for the front office. But how did the pick grade-out? Chad Ford had a few thoughts on it.
Ford handed out his grades on Friday morning and gave the Warriors a solid B. Thompson factored into the grade heavily as the Warriors' only first round pick, but all-in-all Golden State had a solid draft, he said (insider).
Analysis: Jerry West became enamored with Klay Thompson early and I can see the appeal. The Washington State guard is big, shoots the ball well and has some great basketball DNA from his father Mychal, the No. 1 pick in 1978 draft and a 12-year NBA veteran.
But there were still players like Kawhi Leonard and Alec Burks on the board at No. 11 that I think have much higher ceilings. The Warriors went safe, but safe doesn't get you an "A" grade.
I do disagree with the last paragraph. I'm not sure Burks or Leonard have higher ceilings. If anything, all three have about the same ceiling, though Leonard would fill a defensive need in Golden State that Thompson does not.
Still a B for the draft and king words for Thompson are a positive, and Golden State will probably be pleasantly surprised with what the Washington State wing brings to the table.
Stay with this StoryStream for the latest on the draft and how Thompson may project in the NBA. For more on the Washington State Cougars, head over to SB Nation's CougCenter.