Golden State Warriors NBA Draft: Jalen Green could be explosive prospect

The Golden State Warriors once again find themselves with a potential top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. This time, their eyes should be on Jalen Green, a player with explosive potential that could fall into their hands.

Green has a high-ceiling as a versatile wing with elite shot creation and athleticism. He isn’t as safe as the other prospects currently ahead of him on big boards such as Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobly and his teammate, Jonathan Kuminga. But, a bit of a risk is okay for the Warriors.

The Dubs ensured to get some draft compensation in exchange for D’Angelo Russell last season. In the deal, they received Minnesota’s 2021 First Round pick. The selection is top-three protected, meaning as long as the pick doesn’t fall in the top-three, the Wolves will send it over to the Warriors.

Thanks to the flattened lottery odds, there is a 50/50 chance the pick converts to the Dubs even if the Wolves finish with the worst record in the league. This means it’s entirely possible the Warriors will have the opportunity to select Green this summer.

If the opportunity presents itself, the Golden State Warriors should target Jalen Green in the 2021 NBA Draft.

As we stated, Green is an eye-popping athlete. He has natural speed, quickness and leaping ability that has left scouts speechless. It just comes so easy to him, showing the same effortless fluidity of some of the NBA’s greatest athletes at such a young age.

Green is only 19-years old, and this means, well, he plays like a 19-year-old. He hasn’t yet figured out how to consistently attack the basket and while it’s a good thing the kid is oozing with confidence – it also gets him into trouble when he settles for tough pull-up shots rather than putting his head down and getting to the rim.

Drawing fouls will be something Green has to learn. As well as becoming a more willing passer. These are things he should be able to learn in the G-League. But, if he doesn’t, someone on the Warriors sure as hell will teach him (Cough cough, Draymond Green).

It will be interesting to see how Green’s development plays out. He’s one of the first top-prospects in NBA history to play in the G-League rather than college or overseason. As we know, most international players get the stigma of being more ‘polished’ since they have been playing against other pros for such a long time. Will the same be true for G-League prospects? We have to assume the competition here is stronger, so maybe it will have a similar impact on Green’s growth.

Green only scored 11 points in his debut but snapped for 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting in his second outing. This is impressive, but his two assists to six turnovers is a concern that we’ll have to watch moving forward.

Regardless, Green would slot into the Warriors’ second unit with ease. He’d have free reign to lead the bench with great mentors like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Green guiding him. One day in the future, Green and James Wiseman could become faces of the franchise. I guess we’ll just have to see if the Dubs get a chance to draft him or not.