Golden State Warriors rally but lose to Dallas Mavericks - San Jose Mercury News

Thursday's 112-103 loss to the visiting Dallas Mavericks at Oracle Arena was a perfect scenario for many Warriors fans.

They got to see some standout performances, namely one from rookie shooting guard Klay Thompson, who totaled 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

They got to see a competitive game, as Golden State fought back from 19 down to get as close as three. They even got a free smoothie from Jamba Juice, the prize for the Warriors topping 100.

To top it all off, they got a loss -- keeping alive the Warriors' hopes of keeping their 2012 first-round draft pick. With an eye toward the June draft, many Warriors fans are happy each time Golden State loses. But the losing ways aren't sitting well with some of the youngsters on the roster.

"I hate it," rookie shooting guard Klay Thompson said before the game. "Burns me up."

"I'm (upset) after every loss," added rookie big man Jeremy Tyler. "After every one."

With the loss to the defending champions, Golden State has dropped three straight and 15 of its last 19 games. The Warriors season has spiraled out of control, and now all everyone can talk about is whether they can lose enough to keep the draft pick.

But Warriors coach Mark Jackson is adamant his team doesn't get comfortable with losing.

"Continue to battle," Jackson said before the game. "Continue to give ourselves a chance to win, continue to improve."

In 2008, the Warriors traded a

first-round pick to New Jersey for point guard Marcus Williams. Thanks to the conditions of the pick, and a tweaking of the deal, the Warriors have yet to give up the pick.

New Jersey traded the Warriors' pick to Utah in the Deron Williams trade, so it now belongs to Utah. The only way Golden State will keep its 2012 first-round pick is if it's one of the top seven selections. If it's No. 8 or lower, it goes to the Jazz. Considering the prominence of this draft, which is widely considered a good one, and Golden State's need for talent, keeping the pick would be a serious coup for the Warriors.

The lower the Warriors finish in the rankings, the better their chances of keeping that pick. The order of the draft won't be decided until May 30. But where the Warriors finish in the standings affects their chances in the lottery.

Golden State entered Thursday's game with the ninth-worst record in the league. If that stands, the Warriors' only hope of keeping their first-rounder would be to land one of the top three picks in the lottery. They would have a 6.1 percent chance of that happening.

Of the Warriors' eight games remaining, six are against winning teams and four are on the road -- including their one back-to-back-to-back set. Losing out would be the best way to help the Warriors keep their pick. Winning more than one of their final games would likely leave them with slim hopes of retaining their lottery pick.

The seventh-worst record in the NBA is owned by New Jersey (21-38). With eight games left after Thursday's game against visiting Dallas, the Warriors have time to catch the Nets.

• Dallas forward Lamar Odom has played his last game with Dallas, which means he'll be looking for a team in the offseason. Could the Warriors be a good fit?

  Golden State could upgrade the small forward position. The Warriors are also in the market for a backup power forward, Odom's natural position. He could be a target of Golden State's.

  According to multiple sources, the Warriors like Odom. But one source said that since Odom still is a Maverick -- Dallas won't waive him, instead putting him on the inactive list for the remainder of the season -- and that Golden State hasn't entertained the possibility of acquiring him.

  One of the problems is the Warriors don't have any salary cap space. Odom is set to make $8.2 million next season, but Dallas has a team option. If it cuts him by June 29, only $2.4 million of that is guaranteed. The Warriors wouldn't have money to outbid anyone. They'd have the midlevel exception (about $5.6 million this season) to offer Odom and hope he just wants to play with the Warriors.

  Another problem: Odom has been on a downward spiral since the Los Angeles Lakers traded him to New Orleans, a deal the NBA nixed. The Lakers then traded him to Dallas.

  In Dallas, Odom built a reputation for not caring. At least one team source said that would be a major concern for the Warriors and that the team wouldn't want him if his head isn't right.