Are you feeling the anxiety yet? The 2021 NBA Draft is quickly approaching and the Golden State Warriors are ready to make a decision that will have a long-lasting impact on the future of their franchise. I’m not sure if they will trade the pick or not — but one thing is for sure, they need to select the best player available if they make a selection.
The Golden State Warriors can’t be overconcerned with fit in the NBA Draft. They simply need to select the best player available to them.
If you’ve spent as much time as me surfing NBA Twitter the last few years, you’ve heard the debate around drafting the best player available and selecting the prospect that fits best with your roster. For example, the Phoenix Suns shocked us all by drafting Cam Johnson high in the lottery in 2019 — now, he’s playing a key role in an NBA Finals run. The Suns went for the player who fits their mold best and it worked.
In contrast, the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Darius Garland directly after taking Collin Sexton the year before. Why did they pair two undersized guards together in the backcourt? Well, Garland was the best player available at No. 5. While SexLand hasn’t been a failure yet — this duo is causing some awkward issues for the franchise right now.
Turning our attention back to Golden State, what should the Dubs prioritize in this draft? They are in an unusual position where they have two lottery picks but don’t necessarily need a star. The Warriors would happily take an NBA-ready player who can fulfill a marginal role from day one.
This puts prospects like Corey Kispert and Davion Mitchell at the top of their wish list. However, as exciting as those names could be, it’s hard to argue they have as much potential as other prospects who could be available at No. 7.
Don’t forget, just last year the Warriors made the mistake of choosing James Wiseman over LaMelo Ball. This decision to draft for fit rather than the future Rookie of the Year is a damning one, even if Wiseman blossoms into a good player in a few years. Because of this, Golden State needs to be careful of who they select.
For instance, would the Warriors feel confident they made the right decision by taking Kispert at No. 7 if Scottie Barnes or Jonathan Kuminga was available? The cost of missing a future star could be brutal in a few years.
Of course, drafting the player who appears to have the highest ceiling could also backfire. Barnes and Kuminga both have work to do before reaching their max potential. Do the Warriors even have time to wait for developing prospects? Probably not.
However, the overriding factor here is talent. The Dubs can always figure out how a player fits or hypothetical trades later — all that matters is whether or not the player they draft can actually ball. For this reason, they should ignore fit/experience and simply draft whoever they believe is the best player available.