(No, you shouldn’t spend too much time thinking about this. It was a different time, with a different owner and different goals.)

Here, in any case, was my colleague Michael Lee’s in-the-moment observations about the Davidson star:

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The first thing I noticed was that Curry’s jumper really was pure like Artesian water. He dropped the first three shots I saw him take — a bank shot, a three-pointer and a pull-up jumper in transition — and I asked Ernie Grunfeld if he missed any shots. Ernie smiled and said, “Yes.” Then, the next drill came and the players were running two-man fast breaks with the trailer taking six shots. Flynn was feeding Curry and Curry missed his first five shots before making the last one. That’s when I realized he was human, or just a smidge exhausted. But every shot he put up looked good at the release. When the Wizards met Curry in Chicago, he wowed them in the interview from what I hear. Curry is probably the most NBA ready of the three point guards at Verizon Center that are expected to go in the lottery. He seems grounded and has a great basketball IQ (At one point, Wizards Coach Flip Saunders shouted up toward Grunfeld and tapped his right temple, which I assumed was a signal that Curry was pretty smart. After all, the guy is still studying for his college degree at Davidson).

After the Wizards made the deal (and yes, it’s totally unfair to re-prosecute the details of any draft, in any sport), Grunfeld argued that Miller and Foye would help more quickly than any potential draft pick:

Grunfeld said the move was not an indictment of the 2009 draft class. “All along, we’ve been saying we like the draft and we can get a player. I didn’t know how long it would take for this player to develop. I didn’t feel like there was anybody at the five spot who could fit into our rotation,” Grunfeld said. “I don’t think there are any guarantees in the draft and people are saying this is a weaker draft than normal, so for us to be able to turn the No. 5 pick into two players who can help us immediately and help us for years to come, we felt very good about it.” Grunfeld added that it wasn’t necessary to wait and see which player fell to the team at No. 5. “We knew who was going to be at the five spot and we felt that these players were going to help us a lot more than anybody we would’ve gotten in the draft,” Grunfeld said.

This of course is very, very old news. The Wizards weren’t the only team to whiff on Curry. And for a variety of reasons, that Washington team was in win-now mode. But what was most interesting to me, upon re-reading all this, was how many Wizards fans were agitating for a Curry pick before the trade was made. For example:

I’m not saying slimbo-Rice would be a good NBA GM. But he kind of nailed this pick. And he wasn’t really the only one. While trade talk was everywhere that spring, and while there were many Wizards fans who wanted a trade, or Harden, or Hill, or Evans, there were also a whole bunch advocating for Curry — far more than I had remembered. A sampling from The Post’s comment section:

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* If they bring in another guard Curry would be the best choice. He can play either position and get his own shot and what a shot he has.

* Take Curry. The 3-point shooting contests with Arenas after practice are going to be classic!

* Curry is a solid 6’3″ and has proven stronger then he looks. I’ve watched him play a lot of games, I’ve yet to see a team toss him around and get him off his game. I’ve seen a lot of guys get in foul trouble and end up sending him to the line. Top NBA scorers all know how to get to the line. Curry has all of the traits of a good NBA scorer. In many ways the kid is a taller, more team oriented version of Iverson without the off the court issues.

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* Take Curry! Our team doesn’t need another 7 foot bust (Hill) or more young immature players. Plus he can play both guard positions which would be a nice option.

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* I’m really starting to hope for Curry. He’s so good off the ball, that he’d be a great fit with Gilbert who obviously likes to dominate the ball. Then, when Gil gets tired, Curry can use his point guard skills. Teams don’t need a dominating flashy point as much as they used to. Rather, they need a smart intelligent point who makes the simple “right” plays. I think Curry would do this.

* I’m a believer in picking the best player available which sounds like Curry if he’s still available at No. 5.

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* Based on what is there, I would take Curry. It is a weak draft and Curry has been a dragonslayer. Ask Georgetown about it. This kid can play and will be fine. I see Curry as initially being a Vinnie (microwave) Johnson, and in the right rotation could easily compete for ROY. The Wizards have never had enough firepower.

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* I just don’t see Ernie holding on to this pick. If he does, I think he needs to pick Curry (assuming Griffin/Rubio/Thabeet) are gone. One of the Wiz’ greatest needs is 3-point shooting, and Curry provides it better than anyone else in this range. And his court vision and passing are said to be very strong as well.

* Evans is pretty much Crittendon. Harden gives me flashbacks of Jarvis Hayes. Jennings has AI’s size but can’t score….scary. Hill is Dre Blatche with no offense. DeRozan is Nick Young with no jumper. Take Stephen Curry – need to be able to score in this league.

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* Curry is the right pick. This guy is a pure shooter…he can score the ball. We need a 3 point threat that can also play point guard. Yes..he will need to bulk up and defense will be a challenge for him, but every player has growth areas. We don’t need any more project big men…we have enough players that shoot 3’s but cannot hit them consistently. Curry is a basketball player and he has something to prove…that is a dangerous combination.

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* Reading between the lines on everything I have seen, I believe the Wizards #1 target is Stephen Curry. Flip seems to be enamored with him. Flip is an offensive guy, and would just love to get his hands on this kid who he could do wonders with. He can play him the same way he used Rip Hamilton in Detroit, and his basketball IQ is off the charts.

* Harden could be VERY GOOD, but I think that only Evans and Derozan have elite, all-star potential athleticism. Curry does not, but he may be the most skilled player to come along in several years. He sees plays develop a split second faster than others, never wastes movement, has the prettiest shot since Reddick but a quicker release with far more canny fakes and misdirections. No one ever out-thinks him, while entire college teams can not stop him. My biggest fear is that more athletic NBA players will hound him, but at the same time, I can not imagine any NBA player, however good, could be any harder than the college double and triple teams he faced, not to mention whole defensive schemes based on stopping him. In the NBA he will have only one man to beat, and could find scoring even easier. He will spread Ds, opening driving lanes for Gil and Caron, open the Big Three up for jump shots and clear the middle should we ever get a proper down low offensive threat.. On D, he will be backed down, but will also lead the team in steals. He is an intriguing choice and hard to figure, as I’ve never seen a player with comparable skills.

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* Curry would add some serious scoring punch to the second unit and no way Ernie wants another project on this team. Curry is the pick.

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* Be wary of underestimating Curry. He is as talented a scorer as any other player available in the draft. His size could be a concern, but I don’t think he’s shorter than Ben Gordon, who gets his shot off well in the NBA.

* I said it long ago and i’m sticking with it. Curry is the best pick for the Wizards. His game is far more polished than JJ Redick, given his NBA pedigree. You can’t tell me a player that carried a team on his back for three years moving from shooting guard to point guard and raising his level of play is ” too small, too weak, and too slow” to play the point guard position at the NBA level. I don’t care who you are as a player averaging 28 points per game is no small feet.

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* Curry has the eye of the tiger. I don’t know what folks are talking about regarding him being slight. He looks like he’s in tremendous shape and would be an incredible asset to the Wizards. Get with it.

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* Steph Curry should be the pick if we keep it–the kid’s shot is butter, and he’s gonna be a hard worker (unlike Young and Blache). In fact, I see a little bit of Ray Allen in him, though he is undoubtedly smaller, so maybe Ben Gordon is a better comp.

* The critical question for this draft is, who in the batch of likely draftees that Mike mentioned is most likely to hit an open shot? The answer is Stephen Curry. Increasingly, I’m sold on this kid. He doesn’t have a great build for the NBA, but he can develop that. Curry will knock down open jumpers, including three-pointers, that much is guaranteed. Plus, he’s got a great demeanor and great basketball i.q.

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* I like all the Curry support. I got a feeling that he could be a special player. Sometimes you see a player play in college or wherever and you know he will succeed at the highest level. He won’t generate all the attention like in college with Butler, Jamison, Arenas on the floor so it could be a lot of open looks. Bombs away!!!

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* Curry. I think he will be a small man’s Reggie Miller. Who would have thunk Reggie would be the player he turned out to be in the league. Reggie could shoot and was wiley and crafty. Came from good bloodlines. Likewise, Curry. The dude can flat out play.

* The best pick would be Curry. He is the most NBA-ready player available at #5

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Steph Curry on the Wizards would be Steph Curry on the Warriors. And again, you can play these games in every draft, in every sport. Still, you should feel free to lock yourself in the hall closet and have a good cry.

Incidentally, I was there for that Verizon Center workout, and while I don’t remember a thing about it, my report makes me want to punch myself in the face. Someone (probably me) asked Curry whether he has swag; “I mean, I’m developing it,” he said. “Just getting out here, competing against these guys, knowing I can play at this level. I’m gonna have confidence no matter who I play against and what kind of situation I’m in. I guess you could call it swag.”

“Just a guy that’s laid back, nonchalant, he likes to be in the background, but his game isn’t a background game,” Flynn said of Curry. “You know, he isn’t a background singer when he’s out there on the court, he’s a full-fledged lead singer. He’s definitely just a great player, and his swag is definitely tremendous.”

Someone also asked Curry what he had proved in his workouts.