Luka Doncic and Ja Morant may provide perspective for Warriors future

Playing against Luka Docic, Ja Morant and Trae Young will give the Golden State Warriors a glimpse of what having a modern lottery pick could look like.

Over the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors have been a team focused on the now. But without star power filling the void of injured players and one of the worst records in the NBA, it’s time to look to the future.

The Dubs have a few interesting young pieces, but that’s where it ends— a few. Eric Paschall, Ky Bowman and Omari Spellman all have flashed promise at times. But none were blue-chip prospects built to lead the Warriors into the future.

Over recent NBA drafts, there’s been an influx of exciting youngsters bursting into the league. The players available at the top of the NBA draft haven’t garnered much attention in the Bay Area because most fans were focused on Golden State playing deep into the postseason.

With the Warriors currently scheduled to be at the top of the NBA draft lottery, teams with young talent might provide some perspective.

When teams like the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers popped up on the schedule, Warriors fans were excited. Now, teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies (whom the Warriors will play over the next month) could give fans a glimpse at what having a modern lottery pick will look like.

On the current road trip, the Warriors already played the New Orleans Pelicans, who spent the first overall pick in 2019 on Zion Williamson out of Duke. Due to injury, Williamson hasn’t made his debut yet, but that doesn’t mean the Dubs won’t get a shot at a top pick soon.

The Warriors head to Dallas to face phenom Luka Doncic. The Slovenian isn’t only one of the league’s most talented youngsters, he’s one of the league’s most exciting players overall. The reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 30.6 points, 10.3 assists and 11.6 rebounds per game in November. What doesn’t show on the stat sheet is how Doncic controls the game for the Mavs. He’s a true court general with the swagger that looks like he’s going to cause problems in the Western Conference for years to come.

After Doncic, the Warriors will get a taste of the favorite for the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year award: Ja Morant, another impressive point guard who is leading Memphis into a new era of “grit and grind.” Similar to Doncic, Morant’s feel for the game is that of a veteran. He has the confidence and swagger of a veteran. If you doubt him, he’ll make you pay.

Over the next 10 games, the Warriors will get to see a bevy of recent lottery picks, also including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyler Herro, Coby White, Lauri Markkanen, Markelle Fultz, PJ Washington, Malik Monk and, for the grand finale, Trae Young. All players picked in the top 13 with the average age of 20.5, Markkanen is the old man of the group, at 22. Paschall, Bowman and Spellman are all 22 or older, with Jordan Poole the only Warrior under 21.

As exciting as it is to play against All-Stars like LeBron James, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s important to gauge the type of talent the Warriors could be getting in the June draft. If Golden State’s season finishes on its current trajectory, the Warriors will have a chance to acquire a talent similar to Doncic, Morant or Young.