Lowell Cohn: Warriors draft for future, but what about now?

OAKLAND

The Warriors drafted 7-foot center Damian Jones on Thursday. Presumably, he can breathe and walk and maybe even play. He was the last pick in the first round - No. 30 - and wasn’t exactly what the Bible would call “coveted.”

The Warriors shocked the world - not really - by buying into Round 2 for, umm, shooting guard Patrick McCaw, who presumably can breathe and walk and maybe even play. McCaw was pick No. 38. General manager Bob Myers swore the Warriors ranked both draft picks higher than 30 and 38.

Last year, the Warriors drafted Kevon Looney. Unfortunate were the two hip surgeries he required. That was his right hip and left hip, perhaps to keep things balanced. At last year’s draft, the Warriors told us he wouldn’t need hip surgeries. Anyway, the hips made him a non-contributor most of the just-completed season.

Call that the Trent Baalke School of Drafting. You get an injured guy and warehouse him. You don’t care if he contributes right away because you are SO GOOD, and you can forgo and eschew immediate contributors. Strangely, almost perversely, the Warriors went all Baalke with Jones, who tore a pectoral and had surgery and will miss summer ball and the beginning of training camp and won’t be ready when the season starts.

Quite a contributor.

Summing up Jones and McCaw, Myers said, “Both have to get better. We don’t know how good they are. It’s going to be hard for either of these guys to get big minutes.”

So, let’s get this straight. The Warriors drafted for a vague, unspecified future when, really, they do have clear needs right now. Baalke would be proud of the Warriors.

Not that I care. Not that you should care, either.

The Warriors’ issues go way beyond the Jones/McCaw combo, which is kind of irrelevant. The Warriors need to go nuclear in free agency. Make the big explosion. That’s the obvious emphasis. And the Warriors have possibilities and those possibilities don’t relate to the draft or to Mr. Jones or Mr. McCaw.

Why do the Warriors have possibilities?

Because they have a ton of cash. And because the salary cap is going sky high.

I won’t bore you with the cap, something I’ve spent a lifetime working hard not to understand. Just know the cap is expanding from $70 million per team to $94 million. The Warriors can decide not to sign Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes and use the money they save to pay for an unrestricted free agent named Kevin Durant. You heard of him, right?

Or they can trade Andre Iguodala or Andrew Bogut. Me, I say cut ties with Iguodala. But it doesn’t really matter. It’s the result that matters. It’s Durant that matters.

Why in the world should the Warriors go after Durant?

Because they need to get better.

Come on, dude, you’re saying a 73-win team needs to improve?

You bet I’m saying the Warriors need to improve. I’m also saying the Warriors weren’t good enough when it counted. They were very good but someone else was better. No need to argue that and please don’t blame the refs.

In what way weren’t the Warriors good enough?

Well, aside from blowing a 3-1 lead and surrendering the championship on their home court, their glamour guy, Stephen Curry, was no big deal in the postseason, especially in the finals.

Here’s a prediction. In the next playoffs, especially the finals - if the Warriors get that far - Curry will be hurt, his knee or his foot or his elbow, you name it. And he will be tired, just like he was tired in the finals. Nothing against the great Curry, but the Warriors can’t depend on him to be fresh and sparkling.

And the Warriors must protect themselves if (when?) Draymond Green gets suspended in the finals - or whenever in the playoffs - for not being able to control himself. And they need to protect themselves if Klay Thompson goes cold.

They need a big-time player so they don’t score only - gulp - 13 points in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the finals. And they need a match for LeBron James. They need another offensive force who takes over, a force who also plays defense. Like Durant, who nullified Green, just took him out.

Do I know if Durant wants the Warriors? No one knows. Well, I assume his immediate family knows. But I have read the Warriors are going strong after Durant. They know what’s good for them, and owner Joe Lacob is aggressive to the max, his best quality.

I have something to admit. A while back, I wrote a column advising the Warriors not to pursue Durant. It would screw up chemistry on the greatest team of all time. Silly me. Turns out the Warriors aren’t the greatest team of all time. They need another superstar to make them unstoppable.

You saw Durant in the conference finals. He is a top-five player, and he will make the Warriors lethal in a championship series. And because he’s interesting and intelligent, he may want Steve Kerr as his coach. And he may want the Warriors culture, the best in basketball. And the Warriors play in the Bay Area - nothing against Oklahoma City. But Northern California is the Land of Oz, even if opposing players think the Warriors play in a city called Golden State.

If the Warriors don’t get Durant, they need to get someone Durant-like. Big. A scorer. A stopper.

So, congrats to the Warriors for participating in the draft and doing due diligence and getting two players who may help a little. They need someone who can help a lot.

For more on the world of sports in general and the Bay Area in particular, go to the Cohn Zohn at cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.