Golden State Warriors: 3 Ways to rapidly improve this summer
By Tony Pesta
Golden State Warriors can improve through NBA Draft
There isn’t a much more efficient way to upgrade your roster than to strike gold in the NBA Draft. For the Golden State Warriors, three lottery picks in two years is a pretty decent start.
While other lottery teams are desperately searching for a franchise cornerstone, the Dubs are more content with finding a guy who can simply fulfill a role. They don’t need a superstar — they need a specialist who can help them immediately.
This is one reason they selected James Wiseman rather than LaMelo Ball last year. Wiseman was the defensive big-man they’ve been searching for while Melo was just another dazzling guard to add to the mix. We can argue whether or not they made a mistake taking Wiseman instead — but that was the justification for taking him, at least.
Tomorrow will be a big day for the Warriors' draft preparations. Davion Mitchell, Moses Moody, Kai Jones and Jalen Johnson — all of whom have been mentioned as lottery possibilities for Golden State — are scheduled to work out at Chase Center.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) July 14, 2021
Now, the Dubs have another chance to add talent. This time, with a little more leeway to select for fit. It should come as no surprise they are working out the likes of Davion Mitchell, Jalen Johnson, Moses Moody and Kai Jones. Each prospect fills a specific need for the Warriors and appear to be safer picks when compared to Scottie Barnes or Jonathan Kuminga, two prospects with higher ceilings but come with more risk.
The only downside to improving through the draft is the uncertainty. Golden State won’t know exactly what they have until the season begins — and even then, it could be years before any of these prospects turn into quality contributors.