The Warriors' whirlwind tour of evaluating potential draft picks continued Saturday, when they brought in a six-player group highlighted by Louisville forward Earl Clark and Wake Forest forward James Johnson.
USC guard Marcus Johnson, Clemson guard K.C. Rivers, LSU guard Garrett Temple and DePaul guard Dar Tucker also participated in the workout at the Oakland facility, but only Clark - and possibly Johnson - is considered worthy of the seventh overall pick. Clark, who was measured with a 7-foot wingspan at the combine, consistently creates mismatch problems for opponents. He has a good overall offensive skill set and is a solid rebounder and defender.
"I know the Warriors have a really young, talented team, and they should be an up-and-coming team in the next couple of years," Clark said. "They like to get out and show their athleticism, and that's my kind of system."
The workout consisted mostly of 3-on-3 games with some 2-on-2 and 1-on-1 looks. Clark said he sparkled in each format.
"I think you could say I owned the day," said Clark, who also had a workout for Sacramento and has one scheduled in Detroit. "I didn't lose too much, and winning speaks for itself."
Johnson plays a fluid style with good ball-handling skills and court vision. He mostly matched up with Clark and wasn't ready to make a concession speech.
"I don't know about all that," he said. "I could have finished better, but I think they know I can put the ball in the bucket. Wake Forest went up-and-down with the best of them, so I could see myself doing real well with the Warriors ."
Acting as a third-party observer to the Clark-Johnson debate, Marcus Johnson said, "Everybody had their share of moments."
Last week, the NCAA granted Marcus Johnson a "season of competition" waiver, meaning he could play one more year at USC if he's willing to sit out the first two games. He petitioned for the decision six months ago because he played just one exhibition game for Connecticut in 2007-08 before transferring.
"I was uncertain coming into the summer, so I kind of just made plans to make the next step," Marcus Johnson said. "Now, there's something new to think about."
Earl Clark file 6-foot-10 1/4, 228 pounds Forward Louisville junior, 2008-09, 34.3 minutes, 14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 32.6 percent three-point shootingEarl Clark file James Johnson file Height/weight: 6-foot-7 3/4, 257 pounds
Position: Forward
Statistics: Wake Forest sophomore, 2008-09, 30.5 minutes, 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 31.9 percent three-point shooting
