How the Golden State Warriors handle their top pick remains one of the most intriguing questions surrounding the 2020 offseason.
With the championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green intact, the Warriors will eye a player that can help contribute to their climb back into the playoff picture as soon as next season.
Do Steve Kerr and Bob Myers trade the pick for a veteran? Do they add to the backcourt or frontcourt? Do they take a player to develop behind the Splash Brothers? Essential questions the Warriors will answer during draft season.
With the lottery order set, NBA Mock Drafts are beginning to roll out with predictions for what the Warriors will do with the No. 2 overall selection.
In Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman, the Warriors added a young playmaker to their backcourt. After Georgia’s Anthony Edwards went off the board at No. 1, the Warriors landed point guard LaMelo Ball.
While Ball’s fit with Golden State might be in question due to him sharing a position with Curry, Wasserman laid out a few factors around his mock selection.
Via Bleacher Report:
Knowing there could be more interest and time to deal after the draft, the Warriors could take Ball and shop him later, or they could keep him and add a special passer between Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who’d only make the incoming rookie a better player.
LaMelo could ultimately be ready to take the keys full-time as he nears his second contract and Curry approaches his 35th birthday. While James Wiseman may make sense to fill their hole at center, a below-average shooter, passer and switch defender doesn’t seem like a Warriors pick.
View Bleacher Report’s complete mock draft from Wasserman here.
In 12 games for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia’s NBL, the Chino Hills product averaged 17.0 points on 37.5% shooting from the field with 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.3 minutes per contest.
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If Ball sticks in Golden State, the 19-year-old could slide in as the lead guard off the bench while he develops behind Curry. Ball could link with Eric Paschall to give Kerr and the Warriors a viable one-two punch in the second unit.
As Curry and Thompson work back from significant injuries in 2019, having a wing with Ball’s exciting ability to create for others and initiate an offense could provide valuable depth for the Warriors.
With reports pointing towards the draft date getting moved back till November 18, Kerr and Myers will have plenty of time to research a bevy of angles around Golden State’s much-anticipated No. 2 pick.
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