Will the Warriors' draft pick be worth all this?

I hope the player the Warriors draft this summer is worthit. Assuming, of course, all this losing means they'll keep their pick -- which it doesn't.Because where the Warriors are right now isnt good. Itisnt good at all.Theyre 20-30 and half the fan base is rooting for them tolose as many games as possible. The focus isnt even on the games anymore, itson whether or not the Warriors will get to keep their draft pick.You know the story by now: If they get the No. 1 through No.7 pick, they keep it. If they get the No. 8 or worse pick, it goes to Utah. TheWarriors are currently the ninth-worst team in the league.In other words, the Warriors not only arent going to makethe playoffs for the 17th time in 18 years, but theres really nosignificance to the outcomes of games, either.The Warriors are going to end up being the sixth-worst teamin the league or maybe the seventh-worst or eighth-worst. Who cares? Its stillcoming down to the lottery on May 30, when all this is going to be determinedby ping-pong balls and sheer luck.In the meantime, players such as David Lee, Dominic McGuire,Brandon Rush and Dorell Wright are playing hard every night, trying to win. Buta large percentage of the fans dont want them to. Its kind of unseemly.Its low-stakes basketball and very little is compelling. Warriorsowner Joe Lacob didnt intend for the season to play out this way. Heck, hesthe guy who actually promised the playoffs this season.Of course, there will be no playoffs this year. This is theopposite of a playoff pushwhere there is very little to play for and plentyof fans dont care one way or the other if the team wins or loses.On Friday night, the Warriors were leading New Jersey (witha record worse than Golden States) by 19 points in the third quarter. But they blew that lead and wound uplosing 102-100.RECAP: Nets stun Warriors at Oracle
It should have been painful lossplayoff team or not. Butit was like it didnt really matter. In fact, there are lots and lots ofWarriors fans applauding the loss. Sure coach Mark Jackson and the playerswere disappointed.But the result was viewed upon favorably by many fans. Onemore loss gets you that much closer to keeping your draft pick andfingerscrossedselecting a player who helps make you a really good team.Nevermind that Klay Thompson, Ekpe Udoh and Stephen Curry players picked in the past where the Warriors are likely to pick in thefuture-- havent been able to push the Warriors into the winnercategory.But the hope is that this year the pick will make adifference, which is close to flimsy thinking.It was no fun at Oracle on Fridayanother game withoutconsequences all in the hope that the Warriors chances of keeping their pickimprove by a few percentage points.Nothing that is happening now guarantees the Warriors willkeep that pick. And nothing that is happening now will prevent the Warriorsfrom losing a pick down the road.The Warriors are going to be 0-2 in Lacobs playoffstandingstwo years as owner, two non-playoff seasons. Its not a good startfor the man who was pointing to championship banners in November 2010.But whats going on now with Golden State is worse than yourrun-of-the-mill non-playoff finish-up. April is going to be a long month forthe Warriors as they close out what is becoming an interminableseason.And as the Warriors wind down on a hugely disappointing2011-12, most fans are in two campseither actively wanting the team to loseor not caring one way or the other.Hope the player is worth it.