As NBA mock drafts continue to roll out with an eye on Nov. 18, a handful of names are becoming popular picks for the Golden State Warriors at No. 2 overall.
Prospects like James Wiseman out of Memphis, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdija and Georgia’s Anthony Edwards have been consistently listed alongside the Warriors in a wide range of mock drafts. However, in Rookie Wire’s mock draft 6.0, the Warriors went a different route with the second overall selection.
After LaMelo Ball went off the board with the first pick to Minnesota in Bryan Kalbrosky‘s latest mock draft for Rookie Wire, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr land Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton with the No. 2 overall selection. According to Kalbrosky, the Iowa State point guard is “one of the most NBA-ready 3-and-D prospects.”
Via Rookie Wire:
His low usage rate shows he is capable of making a difference without the ball in his hands, which means he could play alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. He is also an excellent playmaker and productive shooter. He is one of the most NBA-ready 3-and-D prospects, as he shot 41.9% from 3-point range, and his steal percentage (3.8%) ranked second-best among high-major underclassmen.
View Kalbrosky’s full mock draft 6.0 on Rookie Wire here.
During the combine, Haliburton mentioned the Golden State Warriors as one of three teams he’s interviewed with during the pre-draft process.
Over his final season with the Cyclones in Ames, the 20-year-old tallied 15.2 points on 50.4% shooting from the field with 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 22 games. Haliburton’s performance in his sophomore season was good enough to earn him a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team.
If Haliburton does end up in the Bay Area, the 6-foot-5 point guard could serve as another facilitator in Kerr’s offense. With Stephen Curry coming off a significant injury, the Warriors will need another player to handle the offense at times. While Jordan Poole, Ky Bowman and Damion Lee had moments with Curry on the sideline, Haliburton would provide a level of consistency to Golden State’s backcourt.
Haliburton’s addition could provide the flexibility on offense Kerr lost with the departures of Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. The Iowa State guard could lead Golden State’s second unit with Eric Paschall or handle the basketball while Curry and Thompson roam the perimeter.
While Wiseman, Avdija and Edwards will be popular names in the final stretch of draft season, Haliburton could be a name to keep an eye on leading up to November.
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