Opposing star's hot form further extends Warriors draft nightmare

The Golden State Warriors will have had nightmares over their decision to draft James Wiseman second overall in 2020, having passed on future All-Star guards LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton.

But as time progresses it's another draft decision that's bound to start haunting the Warriors just as much, albeit it's not yet a complete disaster as in the Wiseman case.

The Warriors could have selected Franz Wagner over Jonathan Kuminga

A year after the Wiseman pick Golden State had two more lottery selections, electing to take Jonathan Kuminga seventh overall and Moses Moody at 14. They've certainly resulted as worthwhile picks as both remain on the team in their fourth-year, with Moody having signed a three-year, $39 million extension with the franchise and Kuminga likely to command in excess of $25-30 million per year as a restricted free agent in the offseason.

That's not to say those picks were the right ones though, particularly in the case of a prized top 10 selection. The Warriors taking Kuminga allowed the Orlando Magic to swoop on Franz Wagner, with the German forward now viewed as one of the brightest young stars in the league.

Wagner has been on a tear since the Magic lost former number one overall pick Paolo Banchero to injury, having punctuated his hot stretch with an extraordinary game-winning three-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

That was the last of Wagner's 37 points to go with six rebounds and 11 assists, leading some Golden State fans to take to social media with a reminder of what could have been.

Wagner has now averaged 27.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.9 steals over the last 10 games, leading Orlando to seven wins in the past eight games despite the absence of their best player.

The Warriors are 12-3 and atop the Western Conference, so they're still in a good position regardless of the draft mistakes. But could you imagine if they had Wagner at their disposal right now? A player that is not only blessed with immense talent, but who would also appear to be a perfect fit in the Warrior system with his multi-faceted skillset.

Perhaps things would have been totally different for Wagner at Golden State. Maybe he doesn't get the runway to blossom into the player he has become, with Orlando's previous rebuilding nature undoubtedly helping his development.

Kuminga still has time to become a star himself, yet the longer time goes without seeing the jump many had forecast heading into this season, the less likely that it will come to fruition. More and more it looks like another poor draft decision from the Warriors that could come to have major long-term consequences.