Although there is playoff action underway inside the Orlando Bubble, it’s officially shifted to draft season in the Bay Area. Instead of making a selection at the back end of the first round, the Golden State Warriors are slated to be on the clock with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 edition of the NBA Draft.
Before Bob Myers and Steve Kerr make their highly anticipated draft-day decision, Warriors Wire is rewinding through Golden State’s draft history to highlight some of the most memorable selections — trades, surprises, busts, sleepers and everything in between.
With their first-round pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors picked a player with March Madness lore on his resume.
June 20, 2019
The New Orleans Pelicans opened the 2019 NBA Draft by selecting Duke’s highly touted prospect, Zion Williamson with the first overall pick. Following Williamson, the Memphis Grizzlies added future Rookie of the Year Ja Morant out of Murray State with the second pick.
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Fast forward to the third to last pick of the first round, and the Golden State Warriors were on the clock. With the No. 28 selection in the 2019 draft, the Kerr and Myers duo landed Jordan Poole out of Michigan.
In his sophomore season in the Big Ten, the young wing made 37 starts, averaging 12.8 points on 43.6% shooting from the field with 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. In his final season with John Beilein, Poole shot 36.9% on 5.5 attempts from beyond the arc.
In the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Poole earned legend status in Ann Arbor after hitting a thrilling buzzer-beater. In a matchup with the Houston Cougars, Poole buried a game-winning 3-pointer as the clock hit zero to send the Wolverines to the next round.
Watch Poole’s memorable game-winning 3-pointer via YouTube:
At the start of his rookie season, the 21-year-old struggled with consistency and confidence, leading to shooting slumps. However, after a rough start, Poole benefitted from a move into more of a playmaking role. The rookie guard scored in double-figures in 12 of his final 13 games. During that span, Poole earned a spot in the starting lineup in five games.
To finish his season on a promising note, Poole tallied 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting with three assists, a rebound and a steal in 26 minutes against the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers.
Poole capped off his rookie campaign averaging 8.8 points on 33.3% shooting from the field with 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game.
Watch highlights from Poole’s rookie season via YouTube:
Along with Poole, Morant and Williamson, other notable members of the 2019 draft class included Villanova’s Eric Paschall, North Carolina’s Coby White, Kentucky’s Tyler Herro, Washington’s Matisse Thybulle, Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke, and Rui Hachimura.
Undrafted rookie free agents from the 2019 class included Boston College’s Ky Bowman, UCF’s Tacko Fall, Arizona State’s Luguentz Dort and Ole Miss Terence Davis.
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