NBA: Warriors Relied On Former Top Pick's Call On D-LO

One of the big acquisitions of the Golden State Warriors is D'Angelo Russell this NBA offseason. The former top pick is coming off a breakout year but found himself displaced in Brooklyn with the coming of Kyrie Irving.

Seeing how the Warriors needed added firepower, Russell was taken in. And while most never really knew the nitty-gritty on how the Dubs ended up snagging the 23-year-old guard, it turns out that another former top pick of the Warriors was behind it all - Mike Dunleavy Jr.

In his prime, Dunleavy was one of the hotshots in the league. He played for the Warriors from 2002 to 2007 before playing for five other teams. After getting waived by the Atlanta Hawks in 2017, the 6-foot-9 shooter retired. He ended up being a scout for the Dubs in 2018 and promoted to assistant general manager last August.

It was Dunleavy's scouting that came in handy for the Dubs. In fact, it was his newfound love of scouting that is seen as one reason why he earned his position right now. His inputs on Russell to general manager Bob Myers turned out to be the driving factor in the decision to sign the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported.

“There’s never been more information available, whether it’s analytics, your ability to watch tape, see games, dig into numbers. But I don’t think any of it is a substitute for actually going to a game in person, talking to coaches and watching the whole day develop, from when the player gets there to warm up, the stuff fans don’t see, interacting on a closer level, how they act when they get subbed out, how they react to winning and losing," said Myers.

Looking ahead, there is no question that Russell is oozing with talent and new confidence entering the 2019-20 NBA season. He has been tasked to fill in the (temporary) void left by an injured Klay Thompson. While most question how he can blend in with the Dubs system, head coach Steve Kerr speaks highly of him, revealing how he will play an integral role for Golden State in a previous post.

"I'm excited to coach him, he's a great young talent," said Kerr. "I think he's going to fit right in with our group and we're gonna need him desperately, without Klay especially."