The Golden State Warriors can still find their way to the Western Conference playoffs after their top-three finish in last year’s NBA draft and even after Klay Thompson’s injury.
The Warriors took Memphis center James Wiseman with the second pick in the draft, and while it wasn’t great, they could have taken a LaMelo Ball guard and had one of the best backs in the NBA.
Were the warriors wrong? Maybe, and here’s why.
Sage has talent, which has never been a problem. He is six feet tall and can shoot fast. He averages 12.2 points and 6.1 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from distance and 40 percent from beyond.
That was my favorite piece by James Wiseman last night. The fake DHO counts and uses its size and mobility.
Hopefully we’ll see more: pic.twitter.com/BjxHaXZ0BA
– Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjjf) December 23, 2020
Wiseman, however, was moved to the bench after Steve Kerr added Kevon Looney because of his defense, and that cannot be a good sign for the Warriors. Stephen Curry did most of the work, as Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. did not live up to expectations and Draymond Green did not score high.
Sure, he can stretch the ground and make shots, but especially after losing Thompson this season, Ball was the easy choice.
Although Wiseman is expected to stay in the league for a while, the Warriors may regret not taking the ball and having one of the best guard duos in the league even without Thompson.
The idea of Ball and Curry is intriguing, and their ability to pass and score at a high level would create similarities for opponents. With the performances of Wiggins and Oubre Jr. so far this season, the Warriors might regret not choosing Ball.
He got off to a slow start and sat on the bench for most of the game as James Borrego was unable to free up a star player. But due to recent injuries to Terry Rozier and now Devonte Graham, he was thrown into the starting lineup and worked wonders.
He averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6 assists per game in the first half and will only get better over time.
LaMelo’s dance.
Impressive. pic.twitter.com/iNolbhrxze
– Legion Hoops (@Legion Hoops) February 7, 2021
His three-point percentage isn’t as good as it could be, at only 33 percent, but it’s getting better as the season goes on, and a player like Steph at the head of the offense would open his eyes to the ball.
Everyone knows how good Curry is, and Green did a great job with the ball in his hands. What the Warriors are missing most is a second attacker besides Curry.
Get in the ball, or at least we thought so.
The Warriors’ Sage ice axe could certainly work if he keeps his feet under it, but an injury and the loss of Klay during the season have made the gap at guard clear, and the Warriors see LaMelo growing and making reels with highlights daily.
LaMelo Ball just gave this ridiculous pass pic.twitter.com/doJYjFOdbh
– Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) December 20, 2020
The Warriors and Hornets could have made the playoffs in their respective conferences, but the lack of a secondary for the Warriors could have easily been fixed with the ball, and the choice of the Wise Man seems to be a big mistake for the franchise.
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lamelo, nba mock draft 2020
