Tag: Warriors Mock Draft

Warriors land UCONN’s James Bouknight with No. 7 pick in latest mock draft from For The Win

With the No. 7 overall pick in the latest mock draft from For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky, the Warriors landed UCONN guard James Bouknight.

While the NBA Finals take center stage in the basketball world, the draft is quickly approaching in the background. As the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks meet in the Finals, the Golden State Warriors will be studying for July’s draft night.

With two picks in the lottery at No. 7 and No. 14, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr will have the opportunity to land a pair of top prospects in the 2021 edition of the draft. Before Myers and Kerr are on the clock on July 29, mock drafts are submitting different predictions for Golden State’s selections.

In the latest mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky of USA TODAY’s For The Win, the Warriors landed UCONN’s James Bouknight with the No. 7 overall pick.

According to Kalbrosky, the UCONN sophomore is an explosive scorer with athleticism.

Via For The Win:

UCONN’s James Bouknight averaged 18.7 points per game as a sophomore. That included a massive 40-point game against Creighton. Anyone who is capable of that type of explosive scoring performance is going to get some love from evaluators, especially when they are as athletic as Bouknight.

During his sophomore season at Connecticut, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 18.7 points on 44.7% shooting from the floor with 5.7 boards, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.7 minutes per contest. 

Bouknight tallied 20 or more points in seven of 15 games, including a 40 point performance on 13-of-24 shooting from the floor against Creighton.

Adding Bouknight would give the Warriors a punch of scoring alongside Jordan Poole in the backcourt off the bench. When Steph Curry and Klay Thompson come off the floor, Kerr could turn to the Bouknight and Poole tandem for scoring in the second unit.

View Kalbrosky’s complete mock draft here, including Golden State’s pick at No. 14.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Warriors add burst of athleticism and needed depth in the NBA Wire two-round mock draft

After landing James Wiseman in the first round, the Warriors added Nico Mannion and Lamar Stevens in round two of the NBA Wire mock draft.

With the long-awaited NBA draft just days away, the editors and writers at USA TODAY’s SMG Network joined forces for a full two-round mock draft.

Each editor split up to take over as general managers for different teams on the draft big board.

While trade offers were available, the Warriors Wire team decided to stay on the clock and make the pick at No. 2 overall. With Georgia’s Anthony Edwards off the board to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 1, the Golden State Warriors landed Memphis center James Wiseman with the second pick in the draft.

Although intriguing prospects like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija and Devin Vassell were on the board, the Memphis big man checked off a myriad of boxes for Golden State’s draft needs. While providing a boost of athleticism and size to the rotation, Wiseman could serve as a potential foundational piece for Golden State’s future.

Via Rookie Wire:

While there’s no doubt they will explore moving the pick for an established veteran, one prospect still gives Golden State a win-now threat with a building block for the future. James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick fills a positional need in the frontcourt while providing a much-needed jolt of athleticism to Kerr’s rotation.

After Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and Andrew Bogut primarily roamed the center position during the Curry era, Wiseman provides a new dynamic to Golden State’s roster. As the 19-year-old continues to develop his jumper and build experience, Wiseman could immediately serve as a devastating lob threat in Kerr’s up-tempo offense and a rim protector behind Green on the defensive end.

If the former McDonald’s All-American lives up to his pre-draft hype, Wiseman could be the centerpiece of Golden State’s bridge between their veteran-championship core and the future.

Forty-six picks later, Warriors Wire was back on the clock with Golden State’s first second-round pick. While it’s likely Myers and Kerr target potential stash pieces, prospects like Abdoulaye N’Doye and Leandro Bolmaro were off the board at No. 48.

Instead of a stash, Warriors Wire selected a former five-star recruit in the second round. Arizona’s Nico Mannion could provide depth at point guard while learning from Curry.

Although Jordan Poole showed glimpses of potential in a playmaking point guard role for Golden State last season, the Warriors could still use another piece to develop behind Stephen Curry. With shooters around him, Nico Mannion could show off his impressive passing arsenal in Steve Kerr’s offense.

Similar to Golden State’s past picks like Draymond Green and Eric Paschall, Warriors Wire opted for an established college veteran with their final pick in the 2020 draft. At No. 51 overall, Penn State’s Lamar Stevens lands in the Bay Area.

The Warriors have had success when drafting experienced college players in the past with Draymond Green and Eric Paschall. After averaging double-figures in scoring in all four of his seasons in Happy Valley, Lamar Stevens fits Golden State’s profile for a second-round pick.

View the complete NBA Wire mock draft here.

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James Wiseman lands with the Warriors in latest Bleacher Report NBA mock draft

In the latest NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report’s lead draft writer Jonathan Wasserman, the Golden State Warriors land James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick.

After an extended wait, the 2020 NBA Draft is finally less than a month away. As draft night approaches, mock drafts continue to release predictions for the Golden State Warriors top pick.

In Jonathan Wasserman‘s latest mock draft for Bleacher Report, the Warriors landed big-man prospect James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall selection.

According to Wasserman, there is “more support” for the Memphis big man in Golden State’s front office over Georgia’s Anthony Edwards if the Warriors don’t move the No. 2 pick in the draft. 

Via Bleacher Report:

Odds are, the Warriors stay put despite all the trade chatter, and we’re hearing there is more support for James Wiseman than Anthony Edwards in Golden State’s front office. Deni Avdija, Obi Toppin and Tyrese Haliburton figure to remain in play, but it’s presumed they’re more trade-down targets.

If Bob Myers and Steve Kerr do select Wiseman with the No. 2 pick, the 19-year-old could serve as a “rim runner and finisher” as he adjusts to the NBA level, per Wasserman.

Though Wiseman isn’t considered as NBA-ready as others, the game would come easier to him in Golden State, where he could play off the team’s shooters and passers and work exclusively as a rim-runner and finisher. He’d give a rotation fueled by skill a useful jolt of athleticism in the middle.

Vie Wasserman’s full mock draft on Bleacher Report here.

Although Wiseman’s only college basketball season was cut short, his stint at Memphis resulted in three double-double performances in three games. During his run with Penny Hardaway and the Tigers, the highly touted prospect averaged 19.7 points on 76.9% shooting from the field with 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per contest.

Prior to his time at Memphis, Wiseman earned bids to the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. The Nashville product was named Gatorade National Player of the Year and Tennessee Mr. Basketball.

In the Warriors Wire Big Board 1.0, Wiseman was the No. 4 ranked prospect in the top-30.

While Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green advance to the next stage of their careers, Wiseman’s presence underneath could give the Warriors the flexibility to reimagine their rotation inside out for the future.

With his 7-foot size paired with elite athleticism, the Warriors would add a new dynamic underneath upon Wiseman’s arrival.

While Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss have proven they can contribute to Golden State’s frontcourt, the Warriors haven’t had a center prospect of Wiseman’s caliber in the Kerr era.

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