Before they’re on the clock with the No. 2 overall selection in November, the Golden State Warriors will cross off one of the final steps of the pre-draft process.
At the virtual edition of the NBA Draft Combine, Steve Kerr and Bob Myers will be able to meet with prospects from the 2020 pool. During post-combine media availability, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton and France’s Killian Hayes have confirmed their pre-draft interviews with the Warriors.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports Media Group on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, Penn State’s Lamar Stevens is one of the players scheduled to speak with the Warriors. This was confirmed by a second person, who added that the interview is scheduled for Thursday.
In Rookie Wire’s Mock Draft 5.0 from Bryan Kalbrosky, the 6-foot-8 forward landed with the Washington Wizards with the No. 56 selection in the second round. Stevens ranked as the No. 69 overall prospect on Rookie Wire’s Pre-Combine Top-100 Big Board. According to Rookie Wire, Stevens is an “above-average finisher” as the ball handler in pick-and-roll possessions for someone his size.
Here is what Stevens recently told Kalbrosky about this unusual skill set (via HoopsHype):
“Playing at Penn State, I was able to showcase more of my offensive game. I think I can make plays, especially when there are bigger guys on me. I’m too quick, too athletic, and a lot of time, too strong for a bigger man to stay in front of me. If there’s a small guy, I usually bring them into the post. In pick-and-roll situations, usually against a bigger person, head coach Pat Chambers trusted me to make those plays. We had plays designed to have me come off of the pick-and-roll and they were pretty successful.”
Stevens is one of the more experienced players in the 2020 class, starting all four years with the Nittany Lions. On his way to leading Penn State to a national ranking as a senior in 2020, Stevens tallied 17.6 points on 43.3% shooting from the field with 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals in 31.1 minutes per game.
In a tilt against potential first-rounder Daniel Oturu and Minnesota in February, Stevens recorded a career-high 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field. The 23-year-old added seven boards and three assists in Penn State’s 83-77 win over the Golden Gophers.
After impressive campaigns in 2019 and 2020, Stevens was named to the All-Big Ten First-Team in back-to-back seasons. In Penn State’s run to the NIT Championship in 2018, Stevens earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Along with his accolades on the court, Stevens penned his own children’s book titled “Lamar’s Climb — A Journey to Happy Valley.”
Similar to Eric Paschall and Draymond Green, Stevens fits the accomplished college player mold the Warriors have had success drafting during the second round in the past.
With a handful of expensive contracts on the books, Kerr and Myers will need to identify talent in the later rounds they can plug around Green, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins.
While Golden State’s first-round pick will make headlines, their ability to add steady contributors with a pair of second-round selections could be a key factor in the Warriors climb back to the top of the Western Conference.
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