The Golden State Warriors drafted two players in the lottery of the 2021 NBA Draft, and their picks didn’t sit well with every fan. But, three-time All-Star Draymond Green approved of the moves general manager Bob Myers made.
The first move was to draft G-League Ignite forward Jonathan Kuminga at No. 7. Kuminga was a top-five recruit out of the 2020 high school class, but he decided to go the G-League route instead of to college.
Although not many fans loved the Golden State Warriors draft, Bob Myers knew that there would be no complaints from forward Draymond Green.
Their other move was to draft Moses Moody, a 6-foot-5 guard at No. 14. Moody was a terrific scorer and led Arkansas to a successful season as a freshman. He was also expected to go higher than the Dubs got him at.
That said, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater was able to record Myers talking about the draft and his interactions with Green prior to sending the picks in. Let’s just say the former Defensive Player of the Year is all-in on the Warriors’ two picks.
Bob Myers on his draft night interactions with Draymond Green
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 30, 2021
"He texted me after the third, fourth pick and said 'Kuminga'."
"At about the ninth pick, he said 'Moody'." pic.twitter.com/8eCjjyCZ1J
For what Golden State needed, this was a terrific draft.
Kuminga, at 19, gives Golden State a bright future. He’ll be able to grow and compete with 20-year-old center James Wiseman.
Although his efficiency, decision-making and shooting could all slow him down in terms of making an immediate impact, I think everyone is under the assumption he’s not going to produce from the start.
In 13 G-League games, Kuminga shot under 40 percent from the field and under 30 percent from deep. While he did show good touch around the rim, the Warriors will need him to improve his efficiency before giving him big-time minutes.
That’s where Moody comes into play. He’s more likely to instantly contribute.
He averaged 16.8 points per game as a freshman. He also hit 1.8 threes per game, shooting 36 percent from the field. Moody proved to be more efficient and appears to be a starter option from the start.
Options behind small forward Andrew Wiggins was already an area the Warriors should’ve wanted to improve in, and that’s exactly what they did during the draft. The problem with the draft, for some, is that the Warriors didn’t really improve.
They could snag Andre Iguodala in free agency and have a better option off the bench than either Moody or Kuminga. The Big 3 window is notable closing, and they needed to inch close to title contention.
In all reality, they didn’t do that. But, with Green on board, at least one of the Big 3 should remain happy with the decision being made by management.
The combination of Moody and Kuminga make the Warriors draft a home run. Given the low floor of both prospects and lack of a trade, this team will always have some questioning the moves they made or didn’t make.