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Saturday, May 19, 2001
Golden State hopes to jump to top spot
Associated Press
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OAKLAND, Calif. – If any team is due for a little luck, it
must be the Golden State Warriors – and owner Chris Cohan is
appealing to a higher power for a change in his downtrodden team's
fortunes.
The Rev. Peter Colapietro – or Father Pete, Cohan's family
priest from New York City – will be in Secaucus, N.J., on Sunday as
the Warriors, who finished the regular season with the league's
second-worst record, attempt to move up to the top spot in next
month's NBA draft.
Six years ago, Father Pete made his only previous appearance at
the lottery. After the Roman Catholic priest lit a candle for St.
Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, the Warriors moved up
from fifth to first overall, where they selected Joe Smith.
Father Pete can't be blamed for the pick, but the Warriors hope
he had an influence on their move. Golden State has a 1-in-5 chance
of passing Chicago for the top spot on Sunday.
Of course, the Warriors also could fall as far as fifth during
the lottery, which will be broadcast during halftime of an Eastern
Conference playoff game. Even though the draft is devoid of a
prohibitive No. 1 pick, Golden State would like the options the top
selection affords.
"You don't have a (Tim) Duncan or (Shaquille) O'Neal or one of
those impact-type players," Golden State general manager Garry St.
Jean said. "Very seldom are you going to have an opportunity to
step up and take a Shaq or a Duncan."
The Warriors essentially control three of the first 31 picks in
the June 27 draft, including a top-five selection. For the first
time in three years, Golden State is in a position to be a major
force in the league's offseason player movement.
St. Jean said Golden State will be active in both the draft and
the free agent market, but he likely will hang onto the Warriors'
top pick.
"Someone will have to come knocking at the door with something
really attractive for us," St. Jean said. "We're not going to
trade the second pick in the draft for a guy that's 34 years old. I
don't see that in the crystal ball."
Golden State has missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons –
the longest current streak in the NBA. The Warriors' record is
168-374 in that span, and they were the Western Conference's worst
team last season.
Despite their seven seasons of woe, Golden State wasn't involved
in the last two draft lotteries. The Warriors' last lottery pick
came in 1998, when they picked Vince Carter and immediately traded
him to Toronto for Antawn Jamison.
The Warriors traded their first-round pick in 1999 in a package
to Atlanta for point guard Mookie Blaylock, then shipped their 2000
selection – fourth overall – to Chicago in a three-way deal that
brought Larry Hughes to Golden State.
This year's draft is mostly highlighted by high schoolers and
early-entry collegians, with as few as four graduating seniors
expected to be picked in the first round. Duke point guard Jason
Williams and Chinese center Yao Ming – two possible No. 1 picks –
won't be in the draft pool.
St. Jean won't name names, but it's clear the Warriors would
have loved to draft Williams, who would have been the perfect
player to eventually replace Mookie Blaylock and to team with
Antawn Jamison and Larry Hughes. But Williams will stay in school
for his junior season, and St. Jean can't blame him.
"In a puritanical, philosophical world, I would like to see
these players take advantages of their college experiences," St.
Jean said. "I think that college experience is pretty darn
special."
St. Jean said the Warriors haven't decided whether to exercise
their option on the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick – the 14th
overall – but Golden State is widely expected to claim it. St. Jean
acquired the option on the pick two seasons ago in a draft-day
deal.
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