Tag: NBA Draft

Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman Sr. both second-round picks in latest Ringer NBA mock draft

The Ringer has both Spartans going between picks No. 39 and No. 44.

With the NBA Draft Lottery in the books we are in the heat of the 2020 NBA Draft mock draft season.

Michigan State’s Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman Sr. are both listed as second-round picks in the latest Ringer NBA mock draft. Winston is slotted in at No. 39 while Tillman is at No. 44.

Winston’s strengths are listed as feel for the game, perimeter shooting, and playmaking. His player comps are Kyle Lowry and Yogi Ferrel. Each player in the Ringer draft guide has player blurbs and Winston’s reads, “Gritty, unselfish point guard who plays winning basketball and made progress each season as a scorer.”

As for Tillman, his strengths are feel for the game, playmaking, interior scoring and off-ball defense. His player comps are PJ Tucker and Horace Grant–certainly two good names to be associated with. His blurb reads, “Winning player who can easily pair with star shot creators because of his playmaking and versatility.”

The Ringer draft guide has much more information about each player, including detailed breakdowns of their games and is definitely worth checking out.

The 2020 NBA Draft is set for October 16.

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Warriors land talented big with No. 2 pick in Rookie Wire’s post-Lottery NBA Mock Draft

With the NBA Draft order set, the Golden State Warriors landed James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in the Rookie Wire’s post-Lottery mock.

After an extended wait, the Golden State Warriors finally have a clear outlook on the 2020 NBA Draft. With Steph Curry serving as their representative, the Warriors landed the No. 2 overall selection in the upcoming NBA Draft.

With the draft order set, updated mock drafts are beginning to pour in with predictions for what Golden State is to do going on October 16. Prior to the Lottery, prospects like Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, Florida State’s Devin Vassell and Dayton’s Obi Toppin have been listed alongside the Warriors in mock drafts.

In the Rookie Wire’s updated post-lottery mock, the Golden State Warriors added a highly touted prospect to their frontcourt. With the No. 2 overall pick, Bryan Kalbrosky penned Memphis big man James Wiseman to the Warriors.

According to Kalbrosky, Wiseman’s size fits the NBA frontcourt profile. However, the Memphis freshman will need to add shooting to his toolbox at the next level.

Via Rookie Wire:

James Wiseman, the nation’s No. 1 recruit coming out of high school last year, stands 7-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and a massive 9-foot-3 standing reach. While he has the size of a prototypical big man, that is an aspect of NBA basketball that has been fading. There are concerns about his shooting ability, though, which could make it difficult for him to face up against top talent as a modern five.

While his college career was limited to only three games, Wiseman parlayed a trio of exciting performances to back his high school hype. Over his stint in Memphis, the former McDonalds All-American averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 23.0 minutes per contest.

Although Marquese Chriss is coming off an impressive campaign as Golden State’s center, the Warriors’ frontcourt depth is still thin. With the arrival of the 7-foot-1 big man, Wiseman would give the Warriors their first top-caliber center prospect in the era of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

With the Karl Anthony Towns led Minnesota Timberwolves slated to pick before the Warriors, there’s a strong chance Wiseman could still be on the board when Bob Myers and Steve Kerr are filling out the draft card.

While the rest of the NBA battles in the playoffs, Kerr and Myers will have Golden State’s early entrance to the offseason to continue preparing for draft day.

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Report: The NBA Draft and free agency could be postponed

Better enjoy the bubble basketball while we have it.

The order of the 2020 NBA Draft’s lottery picks have been officially determined after the lottery was held on Thursday night.

The only thing now is we don’t know when the draft will actually be staged.

The draft is currently scheduled to be held on October 16, but that date is probably going to get changed at this point. The league is considering postponing the draft and the start of free agency, currently set for October 18, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

No final decisions on changing the date have been made just yet, but in all likelihood this is going to happen.

This thinking falls in line with what Adam Silver told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols last night ahead of the draft lottery.

The NBA was tentatively scheduled to begin the 2020-21 season on December 1, but it’s pretty clear that isn’t going to happen now.

There are a couple of reasons why this is happening. First, they want to play at home arenas again and they want fans back in seats. Silver’s comments reflected that.

“December 1, now that we’re working through this season, is feeling a little bit early to me. Our number one goal is to get fans back into arenas. My sense is, in working with the Player’s Association, if we could push back even a little longer and increase the likelihood of having fans in arenas that’s what we would be targeting.” 

The later they wait, the more we learn about COVID-19 and how to stop the spread. There’s also a possibility of a vaccine along that timeline. So waiting makes sense.

Another reason is that the NBA’s salary cap for next season is in flux right now. The league and the NBAPA both have to agree to a firm salary cap for the 2020-21 season before the draft or free agency happen, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

That hasn’t happened yet and they can’t move forward without that number. The cap is determined by the league’s projected revenues which is derived from revenues from the season prior. That season isn’t over yet, so it’s not possible to come up with a number.

So, yeah, the NBA’s schedule for next season is almost certainly going to be pushed back at this point. Until when? We have no idea.

So it’s best to just enjoy the bubble basketball while we have it now. Because it might not be back for a while.

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NBA Draft 2020: Making the case for the top 5 draft prospects as the No. 1 pick

NBA Draft 2020, Making the case for the top 5 draft prospects, as the No. 1 pick.
LaMelo Ball, The case for him: Ball might be the most flat out talented player in this draft.
The case against: We don’t know if he can actually shoot.
James Wiseman, The case for him: Wiseman could come into the NBA tomorrow and be one of the better defensive centers in the league.
The case against him: Offensively, Wiseman’s game is limited.
Anthony Edwards, The case for him: Anthony Edwards has every tool necessary to be an effective volume scorer at the next level.
The case against him: Just like Ball, it’s hard to tell how he’ll pan out as a shooter.
Deni Avdija, The case for him: Point forwards are en vogue in the NBA right now and Avdija fits that mold.
The case against him: Avdija just doesn’t seem to be a great shooter.
Onyeka Okongwu, The case for him: Okongwu has a legitimate shot to pan out as the best defender in this draft.
The case against him: He’ll probably be limited to catching lobs and rim running offensively in the NBA

NBA Draft 2020, Making the case for the top 5 draft prospects, as the No. 1 pick.
LaMelo Ball, The case for him: Ball might be the most flat out talented player in this draft.
The case against: We don’t know if he can actually shoot.
James Wiseman, The case for him: Wiseman could come into the NBA tomorrow and be one of the better defensive centers in the league.
The case against him: Offensively, Wiseman’s game is limited.
Anthony Edwards, The case for him: Anthony Edwards has every tool necessary to be an effective volume scorer at the next level.
The case against him: Just like Ball, it’s hard to tell how he’ll pan out as a shooter.
Deni Avdija, The case for him: Point forwards are en vogue in the NBA right now and Avdija fits that mold.
The case against him: Avdija just doesn’t seem to be a great shooter.
Onyeka Okongwu, The case for him: Okongwu has a legitimate shot to pan out as the best defender in this draft.
The case against him: He’ll probably be limited to catching lobs and rim running offensively in the NBA

NBA Draft 2020: Making the case for the top 5 draft prospects as the No. 1 pick

NBA Draft 2020, Making the case for the top 5 draft prospects, as the No. 1 pick.
LaMelo Ball, The case for him: Ball might be the most flat out talented player in this draft.
The case against: We don’t know if he can actually shoot.
James Wiseman, The case for him: Wiseman could come into the NBA tomorrow and be one of the better defensive centers in the league.
The case against him: Offensively, Wiseman’s game is limited.
Anthony Edwards, The case for him: Anthony Edwards has every tool necessary to be an effective volume scorer at the next level.
The case against him: Just like Ball, it’s hard to tell how he’ll pan out as a shooter.
Deni Avdija, The case for him: Point forwards are en vogue in the NBA right now and Avdija fits that mold.
The case against him: Avdija just doesn’t seem to be a great shooter.
Onyeka Okongwu, The case for him: Okongwu has a legitimate shot to pan out as the best defender in this draft.
The case against him: He’ll probably be limited to catching lobs and rim running offensively in the NBA

NBA Draft 2020, Making the case for the top 5 draft prospects, as the No. 1 pick.
LaMelo Ball, The case for him: Ball might be the most flat out talented player in this draft.
The case against: We don’t know if he can actually shoot.
James Wiseman, The case for him: Wiseman could come into the NBA tomorrow and be one of the better defensive centers in the league.
The case against him: Offensively, Wiseman’s game is limited.
Anthony Edwards, The case for him: Anthony Edwards has every tool necessary to be an effective volume scorer at the next level.
The case against him: Just like Ball, it’s hard to tell how he’ll pan out as a shooter.
Deni Avdija, The case for him: Point forwards are en vogue in the NBA right now and Avdija fits that mold.
The case against him: Avdija just doesn’t seem to be a great shooter.
Onyeka Okongwu, The case for him: Okongwu has a legitimate shot to pan out as the best defender in this draft.
The case against him: He’ll probably be limited to catching lobs and rim running offensively in the NBA

Steph Curry chimes in with signature ‘Lock in! #dubnation’ tweet before the NBA Draft Lottery

Steph Curry provided his own version of a good luck charm before the NBA Draft Lottery with his signature “Lock in #Dubnation!” tweet.

It’s been a long time since Stephen Curry laced up for the Golden State Warriors. With the two-time Most Valuable Player’s layoff, all the theater surrounding Curry on the basketball court has been missing. The tunnel shot, his famed dribbling routine and his signature pregame tweet.

Although he wasn’t suiting up for the NBA Playoffs in the Orlando Bubble, the six-time All-Star shared a familiar tweet.

On Thursday, Curry served as the Golden State Warriors representative at the NBA Draft Lottery. Before NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced the draft order, Curry shared a unique edition of his “Lock in” tweet.

Via @StephenCurry30 on Twitter:

Lock in! #dubnation ….I guess! This is weird, but let’s get it.

When the ping pong balls were set into action, Curry’s tweet provided a proper good luck charm for the Warriors. With a guaranteed spot in the top-five, Golden State ended the lottery landing the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

After the Lottery, the Warriors shared a message featuring their decorated point guard.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

With the Warriors outside of playoff action in the Orlando Bubble, Curry will have to wait for the tip-off of the 2020-21 NBA season for his next opportunity for a signature tweet.

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Breaking: Golden State Warriors land the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery

For the first time since 1965, the Golden State Warriors will be on the clock with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 edition of the NBA Draft.

Following a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, the Golden State Warriors were officially eliminated from playoff contention in 2020. Instead of focusing on another trip to the NBA Finals, the Warriors turned their attention to the NBA Draft.

Holding the league’s worst record at 15-50, the Warriors were guaranteed to make a selection in the top five picks of the draft for the first time since 2002. After months of waiting, the Warriors will finally know when Bob Myers and Steve Kerr will be on the clock for the 2020 edition of the NBA Draft.

With Stephen Curry virtually locked in as Golden State’s Lottery representative, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced the Golden State Warriors landed the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft.

Heading into the Lottery event, the Warriors had a 13.4 % chance to stick the No. 2 pick.

Golden State has only drafted at the No. 2 position once in franchise history. In 1965, the Warriors added future NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry with the second pick in the draft

Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, Memphis’ James Wiseman, Israel’s Deni Advija, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, Dayton’s Obi Toppin and Florida State’s Devin Vassell have been listed alongside the Warriors in a bevy of NBA Mock Drafts. With the No. 2 pick, Myers and Kerr will have to identify which prospect can help extend Golden State’s playoff window alongside Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

With the draft set to air on October 16, the Warriors will have the next 57 days to prepare for their highly anticipated selection.

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NBPA telling players to prepare for delayed free agency after season

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported some news from the bubble that the NBA’s Players Association is preparing for a delay in free agency.

The NBA’s Orlando Bubble has been a roaring success so far, with last week’s test results coming back clean for the fifth consecutive week and playoff basketball that has delivered unlikely results and excellent performances. But there is an uncomfortable reality on the other side of the bubble and one that could delay the NBA going on with business as usual.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported some new details about the NBA Player’s Association telling their players to prepare for a delay in free agency and the NBA Draft, which were both scheduled to begin in late October after the NBA Finals end. The NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled for tonight, just before Game 2 of the Blazers-Lakers series on ESPN. Woj also reports that because of a potential delay in free agency, several teams are hoping to delay them together.

Among many teams, there is interest in connecting the mid-October draft and free-agency periods so that they could be delayed together, sources said.

With a loss in revenue due to not being able to have fans in the building, teams are hoping for more information about the coronavirus to develop, so that they have a better idea of the league’s financial parameters for the coming season.

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How to watch, stream the Golden State Warriors at the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery

Before the Golden State Warriors find out where they’ll be on the clock, here’s how to watch the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery.

After a playoff streak that consisted of five consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, the Draft Lottery feels like a distant memory for the Golden State Warriors. However, after a 15-50 record, the Warriors are among the top players in the 2020 edition of lottery day.

Along with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors hold one of the prime chances at landing the top overall pick at 14%. If the Warriors ping pong ball doesn’t land the No. 1 pick, Golden State is guaranteed to earn a top-five pick on Thursday.

Following the top pick, the Warriors will have a 13.4% chance at the No. 2 pick, a 12.7% chance at the No. 3 pick, a 12% chance at the No. 4 pick and a 47.9% chance at the No. 5 pick.

To help sway Golden State’s chances of sticking a high pick, Stephen Curry will virtually represent the Warriors at the Draft Lottery. 

Alongside the three-time NBA champion, Joe Lacob’s dog “Lucky Larry” will serve as Golden State’s “good luck charm” for the lottery.

Before the ping pong balls are dropped into action, here’s how to watch and stream the NBA Draft Lottery:

  • Date: Thursday, August 20
  • When: Thursday, 8:30 p.m EST / 5:30 p.m. PST
    • The Lottery is set to begin after the Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Eastern Conference postseason tilt. Following the draft order being placed, game two of the Los Angeles Lakers-Portland Trail Blazers series will begin.
  • Where to watch on TV: ESPN
  • Where to stream: ESPNWatch
  • Host: ESPN’s Rachel Nichols
  • Analysts: ESPN’s Jay Williams, Jay Bilas and Adrian Wojnarowski

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NBA Draft prospect Anthony Edwards: ‘Who wouldn’t love to play with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green?’

Top NBA Draft prospect Anthony Edwards says he would love to play for the Warriors alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

As draft season heats up in the Bay Area, one name is beginning to become familiar for fans of the Golden State Warriors. After an impressive freshman campaign in Athens, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards has been a popular name for the Warriors in mock drafts.

Edwards is widely considered one of the top available prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft class. With a top-five selection on deck in Golden State, there’s a chance Bob Myers and Steve Kerr will have the opportunity to bring in the gifted wing.

On Wednesday, the former McDonalds All-American spoke about playing alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. In an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, Edwards revealed why he would “love” to play in Golden State.

Via Bleacher Report:

Who wouldn’t want to play with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green? It’s would be great — they would make me better at all times. So yeah, I would love to play with them.

Watch Edwards’ full interview with Rooks on Bleacher Report via YouTube:

On his way to winning SEC Freshman of the Year, Edwards averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. In 32 games, the 19-year-old shot 40.2% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc.

Edwards is currently listed at the top of the Warriors Wire Draft Big Board.

Edwards’ explosive downhill play would give Kerr a new element in his backcourt behind the Splash Brother duo. However, before it’s time to speculate on his fit in Golden State, the Warriors will have to determine if they’ll be in range to select the Georgia product.

On Thursday, the Warriors will be in action at the NBA Draft Lottery to find out when they’ll be on the clock.

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