After years of being the crown jewel of the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors figure to be one of the first teams to make a selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. Injuries, free agent departures and trades this off-season depleted Golden State entirely of its core that made five consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
The Warriors will be presented with an interesting dilemma in June’s draft. Already rostering three All-Star guards, the top of the draft is highlighted by guards like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Cole Anthony. James Wiseman is the exception as a big man but his recent decision to leave Memphis will leave scouts and general managers with minimal game footage of him past high school.
A report from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau gives a better look at how Golden State views the top draft prospects.
The Warriors aren’t infatuated with anyone projected to go within the first couple of selections, a league source told The Chronicle.
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The top of the 2020 draft is guard heavy, which isn’t ideal for a Golden State team that boasts Curry, Thompson and D’Angelo Russell. But general manager Bob Myers subscribes to the philosophy of drafting the best player available, not the one who fits a positional need. That is even more paramount when selecting in the draft’s first handful of picks.
D’Angelo Russell has long been seen as a trade chip for the Warriors to bring in other pieces that could better suit the roster. For now, he’s a placeholder at worst for a backcourt without Steph Curry or Klay Thompson. Whether all three could fit on the court together is a question the Warriors themselves likely don’t have the answer to.
Given that, it’s hard to see the Warriors taking yet another guard in the draft without a trade first. Even with one, it’ll be a repeat of the current situation with Anthony and Ball considered point guards and Edwards a combo guard.
While it would be great for the development of Ball to land in Golden State, it would create some complications. Unless the team is confident Thompson, who has garnered praise as an elite defender, can defend bigger wings and play the small forward role, Ball would be used more in a sixth man role. It wouldn’t be terrible for the first couple of seasons in the league but it would put a cap on his growth.
But that debate is still many months away. Ping pong balls are yet to bounce, trades are yet to be completed and many things could yet change before June.
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