Another day, another mock draft for the Golden State Warriors.
By the late stages of draft season, nearly every top prospect has been listed alongside the Warriors in mock predictions for the No. 2 overall pick.
Players like Memphis big James Wiseman, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdija and Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton have been listed alongside the Warriors in recent mock drafts.
In the latest USA TODAY mock draft from Scott Gleeson, Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina, the Warriors land a creative point guard in the first round. With the No. 2 pick in USA TODAY’s mock, the Warriors select LaMelo Ball.
According to USA TODAY’s mock, Ball’s intriguing traits give him “franchise-changing potential.”
Via USA TODAY:
The 6-7 point guard played only 12 games in Australia’s National Basketball League, but it was enough to entice a plethora of NBA scouts and rewrite the narrative his father had poorly written. He has a quick-trigger jumper that still needs accuracy, but his floor vision and court savvy give him franchise-changing potential.
During his 12 games in the NBL, the 19-year-old point guard tallied 17 points on 37.5% shooting from the field with 7.6 boards, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals. As a 3-point shooter, Ball shot 25% on 6.7 attempts from beyond the arc per contest.
According to a report from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Ball is “tentatively scheduled” to interview with the Warriors next week.
With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on the roster, the Warriors are in a unique situation for a team on the clock at the top of the NBA draft. Most teams with high picks have time to wait as prospects develop. However, the Warriors are trying to reopen their championship window as soon as next season.
After playing seasons in Australia’s NBL and Lithuania’s LKL, Ball is one of the few prospects to have some professional basketball experience on his resume. With a short offseason potentially on the docket, the 19-year-old’s past could help him transition to the NBA level faster than other prospects.
As he learns from Curry, the Chino Hill’s product could bring a much-needed dose of playmaking to Golden State’s second unit. Along with Golden State’s lack of secondary playmaking, the Warriors will need a reliable ball-handler behind Curry as the two-time Most Valuable Player makes his return from a significant hand injury.
While his shot selection could use improvement, Ball’s exciting creativity, pace, ball-handling and experience could appeal to the Warriors.
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