Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy checked two boxes with one pick in last year's NBA draft: Size and shooting.
Quinten Post is a real stretch-five. He’s the Warriors' first impactful seven-footer since Andrew Bogut’s second stint, or JaVale McGee before that. The big difference is that Post led the Warriors in 3-point percentage as a rookie. Steph Curry shot 39.7 percent from three -- on a league-leading 11.2 attempts per game -- and Post was just a bit better at 40.8 percent. His 3-point shot at 7 feet is a true game-changer.
Shooting and size might again be the Warriors’ two biggest needs this offseason. Combining the two like they did with Post also might be Dunleavy’s hope again in this year’s draft at No. 41 overall, but he surely understands this year’s crop is considered much deeper in guards and wings than bigs. The Warriors would love to find a young, cheap shooter they can rely on as a rookie.
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SIGN UP HERE It won’t be one of the top names like Kon Knueppel. Madness would have to happen for March star Walter Clayton Jr. to be available. The names below are ranked around 35 to 50 on most big boards and mock drafts.
Here are five shooters that can make sense for the Warriors with the No. 41 pick.
Koby Brea, SG/SF, Kentucky
As a sophomore, Brea shot 42.3 percent behind the 3-point line. That somehow was the third-best 3-point shooting season of his college career. So yes, Brea is a problem from long distance.
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Brea spent his first four years lighting it up for Dayton, where he was a two-time Atlantic-10 Sixth Man of the Year. He first won the award in his sophomore season when he averaged 8.1 points per game and shot over 42 percent from three on 149 attempts.
Brea's 3-point percentage dropped to 37 percent during his third season when he averaged 6.8 points, but then he was back up to 11.1 points his fourth season at Dayton to take home the title again when he led the country with an absurd 49.8 3-point percentage.
For his fifth and final act, Brea transferred to Kentucky, where he averaged a career-best 11.6 points per game last season. His ability to bury teams from deep continued in the SEC, too. Brea led the conference with a 43.5 3-point percentage on 5.9 attempts per game. He’s 6-foot-7 with shoes on and could be an instant contributor and shooting specialist as a rookie.
Chaz Lanier, SG, Tennessee
Like Brea, Lanier was a transfer who made a huge impact in the SEC last season. Lanier started only 18 of the 72 games he played during his first three seasons. Then, in his fourth year at North Florida, he made a huge leap by starting 31 of the 32 games he played.
Lanier that season averaged 19.7 points with shooting splits of 51/44/88, just missing out on a 50/40/90 season. His 44.0 3-point percentage led the A-10 on 7.5 attempts per game. Tennessee sure was happy to add him in the transfer portal for a fifth season.
In Lanier’s one season as a Vol, he was named All-SEC Second Team and Wooden All-America First Team, while averaging 18 points with a 39.5 3-point percentage on 8.2 attempts per game. Lanier isn’t a stand-still shooter and could be a quick catch-and-shoot threat. He has a 6-foot-9 wingspan and impressed with a 39-inch max vert at the combine.
Tamar Bates, G, Missouri
Bates was part of the Warriors’ first round of pre-draft workouts, and it’s easy to see why they’d want an early look. He fits the mold of an experienced four-year college player, and at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, has the size to develop into a versatile player who can contribute on both sides. The 21-year-old got better and better each year.
After shooting 29.8 percent from three as a freshman at Indiana, Bates then improved to 37.4 percent as a sophomore, transferred to Missouri as a junior and made 38.5 percent of his threes, and finally made it to 39.7 percent beyond the arc as a senior. But when Bates struggled making threes as a freshman, he still made 83.3 percent of his free throws.
Then, for two straight seasons, Bates shot 92.6 percent from the free-throw line. As a senior, he led the entire NCAA with a 94.6-percent clip, going 87 of 92 on the season. Bates had a 50.8 field-goal percentage to close his college career, and over the last two seasons had 50.2/39.2/93.6 shooting splits.
Eric Dixon, PF, Villanova
If the Warriors want to add offense through the draft, look no further than Dixon. What else he’ll do at the next level, and at what exact position, remains a guess.
Dixon is already 24 years old and will turn 25 in late January. He redshirted his first year at Villanova, and then played five seasons for them. That puts him in the same high school class as James Wiseman. Dixon will have to hope for much better luck than the former Warrior.
Though he was All-Big East in each of the last three seasons, everything came together for Dixon in his farewell tour. Dixon became Villanova’s all-time leading scorer in a season where he was the NCAA’s scoring leader at 23.3 points per game. He did so at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, taking over seven 3-pointers per game and connecting 40.7 percent of the time.
Dixon worked out for the Warriors on Tuesday, and his combination of size, shooting and scoring makes him an intriguing prospect, especially as a trade-back option.
John Tonje, SF, Wisconsin
Between six years and three schools, Tonje’s college days finally are behind him. Just like other older prospects on this list, Tonje left by leaving his mark. Even if it was his one and only season for the Badgers after stops with Colorado State and Missouri.
Tonje is pro-ready as a shooter and off-ball movement scorer. As a super-duper senior (six years), Tonje barely missed being one of the 20 players to average 20 or more points. He finished at 19.6 points as a Second Team Consensus All-American.
Of course, his ability to hit a long ball is partly why he’s on this list. Tonje last season had a 38.8 3-point percentage on six attempts per game, and shot 42.1 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. But his understanding of constantly cutting, relocating and staying on the move makes him a possible seamless fit for Steve Kerr and the Warriors.