Golden State Warriors: 4 Front court targets in 2021 NBA Draft

1. Golden State Warriors select Jalen Johnson in 2021 NBA Draft

In terms of both realism, fit and talent — Jalen Johnson is the best option for the Golden State Warriors. He’s more than likely going to be available at No. 7 and he is the type of prospect the team is looking for.

Though his ceiling might not be as high as Kuminga and Barnes, Johnson is a bit more polished than his peers. He wasted no time showcasing his skills as a shooter, scorer and passer with Duke and doesn’t have any major concerns heading into draft night.

Johnson shot 8-of-18 (44 percent) from deep in his 13 games with Duke. This isn’t a breathtaking statistic but it indicates Johnson will be able to comfortably step outside of the paint and knock down shots when needed.

More importantly, Johnson has no issue handling the rock. He can navigate the floor effortlessly at 6’9″ and displayed a natural feel for finding open teammates on the fly. Johnson was plagued a bit by turnovers (2.5 per game) but most of this came from overzealous attempts — not necessarily poor ball-handling or bad reads. Honing his decision-making skills will be relatively easy for Golden State.

Sliding Johnson into a bench role as a versatile wing who can slash to the hoop and create looks for others is a win for Golden State. Expanding his range would only make Johnson even more of an exciting prospect for the future.